Family Reunion
by Charis77
Summary: Post Mass Effect 3: Shepard and Garrus unexpectedly find their families meeting for the first time.
1. Incoming

Author's Note: This is a stand alone story, but follows the context of one of my other stories, "Better Than Expected."

* * *

Shepard stretched her arms above her head and yawned. It had been another long day. The farmers on the east side of the Viridian Plains were feuding again. Even though borders had been mapped out early on during the formation of Concilia Colony, the farmers still disputed the rights to various ponds, lakes and water holes. Shepard had found herself trudging out to the Viridian Plains for the umpteenth time to arbitrate. By the time she returned, a glorious pink and orange sunset had settled on the horizon. She decided to forgo returning to her office and instead, said her good-byes to the members of her staff that had participated in the arbitration. She decided to walk home, followed closely by one of her security staff. She wished the beefy young man had departed with the others, but Garrus still thought it was necessary to keep her guarded. The ire over her choice to destroy the Reapers hadn't died down completely. 99% of the universe agreed with her actions; what concerned Garrus was the other 1%, those that thought controlling the Reapers was the better option. Their mantras still appeared on the extranet now and then, causing Garrus to continue his vigilant protection.

When she reached home, Shepard said good night to her protector, then slid open the front door. A squeal of delight announced that Tev was still awake. Shepard ambled into the living area.

"Commander, I mean, Admiral, I mean…" a teenage girl stammered.

"Remember, just call me Shepard. You don't need to be formal, Sita." Shepard smiled at the young girl. Her father worked on Shepard's personal staff, a good advisor with infinite wisdom. When she'd met Sita, she'd loved the girl instantly. Sita was shy, but trustworthy and diligent. She'd been a natural choice as a babysitter.

"Yes, ma'am," Sita said, standing. She held a wiggling infant in her arms. "Sorry I couldn't get her to sleep for you."

Shepard shook her head. "Don't apologize. It's just as hard for me. Here, I'll take her and you can go home."

Sita handed over the wiggler, picked up her carrying pouch and exited.

"Come on, little one," Shepard softly intoned. She lowered the lights in the living area, then sat in the antique rocking chair her mom had given her. In the dim light, she rocked and hushed her daughter, little Tev. Now nine months old, she had grown considerably. _She's going to be tall, just like Garrus_, Shepard thought to herself. Pretty much, Tev was _all_ Garrus. It turned out that Turian genes dominated human genes. Except for the hair. Shepard stroked the infant's soft red baby fuzz. How long it would grow was anyone's guess. In parenting a Turian-Human baby, she and Garrus steered through uncharted waters.

Shepard yawned again. What a long day…a hand touched her shoulder and Shepard jumped, her eyes flung open.

"It's just me," she heard a reassuring voice.

"Oh, Garrus," she breathed.

He chuckled. "You were asleep. Long day?"

"Yeah, too long."

"Here, let me take Tev."

Shepard looked down to see Tev, her mouth wide open, her eyes closed and the sound of deep breathing protruding from her throat. She handed the infant to Garrus. Garrus cradled Tev in his arms and gently walked down the hall into the nursery. When he came back, he found Shepard sprawled out on the couch.

"We have a bed, you know."

"Yeah," Shepard acknowledged. "And I'm too tired to get to it."

Garrus reached down and, with little effort, picked her up. "I guess I have to put my _entire_ family to bed tonight."

Shepard grinned in his arms, but kept her eyes closed. "You could just leave me on the couch."

"I'm too used to you sleeping next to me. Besides, who would steal the covers if you aren't there?"

Shepard opened one eye. "I do _not_ do that."

"Well, not every night, but often enough."

Shepard grunted indignantly. They had reached the bedroom. Garrus put Shepard down in the bed and pulled the sheets over her. She heard him clatter around for a while, then he laid down next to her. She was almost asleep when she remembered the call she had received late in the afternoon, right before she'd made the journey to the Viridian Plains.

"Oh yeah," she said, putting the heel of her hand to her forehead. "I forgot. My mom called. She's got some leave and is coming to visit for the next five days."

She heard a sudden rustle of sheets. Looking over she saw Garrus sitting up, his head turned in her direction.

"I thought you wouldn't mind…" she said, her phrase fading out at the end.

"I don't. I mean, you know I really like your mother."

Shepard heard the hesitation in Garrus' voice. She sat up. "But…" she prompted.

"You know, Shepard, how you've never met my family…"

"Yeah…"

"You will tomorrow."

"They're coming _here_?"

Garrus put a hand to the back of his neck and rubbed it. "Well, dad called me and he and Solana are on the way to Earth for a diplomatic meeting and he thought they'd stop by here."

"And _when_ were you going to tell me this?"

"You were so tired, I thought I'd wait until tomorrow morning, but now that I know your mother's on her way here, too…"

Shepard laid back down, staring at the ceiling. Garrus likewise laid back down. There was silence for a while.

"Are you angry?" Garrus' voice broke the stillness.

"No," Shepard stated honestly. "Just surprised. And a little nervous."

"I think dad will like you." There was an uncomfortable pause.

"And your sister?"

"Um, not sure about that one."

Garrus hadn't told Shepard much about his family over the time they'd known each other. She knew his dad used to work for C-Sec and was "by the book." For a while she knew that the relationship between Garrus and his dad had been strained. His dad disapproved of Garrus' departure from C-Sec and his tendency to step outside of legal channels to get the job done. Yet the war against the Reapers had changed things between the elder and younger Vakarian. Garrus had gone to his dad to convince him of the need to establish a task force on Palaven in preparation for the onslaught of the Reapers. His father had seen the truth and taken action. Since the defeat of the Reapers, Shepard knew Garrus had an easier time with his father.

"When was the last time you saw them?" Shepard asked.

"I saw dad two months ago when I took that excursion to the Citadel to arrange for extra security."

"You never mentioned it."

Garrus sighed. "There wasn't much to it. We talked. Surface stuff. My dad's not one for many words."

"So was your sister with him?"

"No. I haven't seen her since I was on Palaven during the Reaper attacks. She's been…unhappy with me."

Shepard felt her heart beat faster. "She doesn't like you being with a human?"

"Maybe. But it's more than that. She hasn't approved of my career choices."

"Like your dad."

"Like dad. But he's come around. Solana, not so much."

Shepard reached under the covers and took Garrus' hand. "I'm sure it will be fine."

"Sure," Garrus stated. But inside, he wasn't sure at all.


	2. Arrival

Shepard stood by the landing platform, Tev in her arms. The Turian-Human infant laughed and clapped her hands as they watched the shuttle land. In view of the visitors they would have for the next few days, Shepard had turned over all her appointments to various members of her staff. Her calendar was empty as far as she was concerned. Garrus, however, still had security duty. His family wouldn't arrive until late afternoon. He promised he'd be at the landing site to pick them up.

Shepard stared at the shuttle, holding Tev on her right hip and shielding her eyes against the morning sun with her left hand. She finally saw her mother disembark after several Volus. She waved and Hannah Shepard waved back, then hurried her direction.

"There's my granddaughter!" her mother shouted.

Shepard smiled and handed Tev over to her mother's waiting arms. Hannah held Tev high and then hugged her close, enjoying the infant's delighted squeals. Shepard picked up her mother's bags as Hannah leaned over to her daughter.

"And I'm glad to see _you_, of course."

"Me, too, mom," Shepard answered. Shepard had always admired her mother. Her mom had been her role model growing up, a woman who made a way in the military. She'd been the inspiration for Shepard's own career. Now, Shepard could see the signs of aging. Her mother's red hair was tinged with grey and wrinkles had formed at the corners of her eyes. Yet she was still as vivacious as ever.

"Have you gotten used to it yet, a desk job?" Hannah asked as they walked.

"I had enough fighting to last me a thousand lifetimes," Shepard replied. "This is _exactly_ what I want. No regrets."

Hannah held her head up proudly. "Well, you deserve it if anyone does. I'm still so proud of you."

Shepard smiled. "I know, mom. Besides, this might not be a starship, but I still keep busy."

"I believe it," Hannah affirmed. "The only problem is soldiers _have_ to obey your orders. Colonists don't. At least, they don't feel they do."

"I think I hold enough respect here that they listen to me."

"Good."

"In two years, we've accomplished so much. The colonists have worked hard to make this planet home."

"It's looking good," Hannah agreed, glancing at the various shops as they passed the middle of town. "Better than I saw it nine months ago. You've made remarkable progress."

Shepard nodded.

"How's Garrus?"

"He's good," Shepard answered. "About that…"

"Uh oh. Marital problems?" Hannah looked concerned.

"No, we're fine. But I thought I should let you know his dad and sister are coming later this afternoon."

Hannah smiled broadly. "It's about time we all met. We're a family now. I need to size up the in-laws." She winked at her daughter.

_And so do they_, Shepard thought to herself as they neared home.

* * *

Garrus stood alone at the landing platform. He had thought it best to meet his dad and sister by himself. Besides, Shepard was enjoying some alone time with her mother and Tev.

Garrus nervously rubbed his neck, waiting for the doors of the shuttle to open. When the door slid open, his father was the first to step out. Cadmus Vakarian was formidable, always standing tall and straight and proud. He glanced around momentarily, identified Garrus, then moved towards him. Solana followed after him. She was still tall, slender and aloof. She followed her father, but the expression on her face was unreadable. Garrus couldn't tell what she thought of being in Concilia.

"Garrus," Cadmus spoke in his deep voice. He gripped Garrus' right arm and Garrus returned the greeting, gripping his father's left arm.

"Garrus." Solana stated his name without feeling. Garrus nodded his head at his sister, acknowledging her greeting.

"Welcome to Concilia," Garrus spoke at last. "Would you like a tour?"

"Perhaps later," Cadmus answered. "I'd rather meet your family." Solana said nothing.

"As you wish," Garrus acquiesced. He started the walk towards home. Cadmus fell in next to him while Solana trailed behind.

"What do you do here?" Cadmus asked.

"Security. It's not that different from C-Sec really."

"Do you employ stalwart Turians?"

Garrus eyed his father. "Some. Not many decided to colonize here."

Solana snorted behind them. Garrus ignored the derisive sound.

"Union is not easy," Cadmus stated.

"Not always. But the colony tries. We have over a dozen different races working together here."

"Refugees only?" Solana asked, her voice high and distant.

Garrus glanced at her. "Mostly."

"Homeless, then," Solana concluded.

"We've provided them a home. They are not homeless any longer."

Solana opened her mouth to speak, but Cadmus intervened. "We must not forget, Solana, that we ourselves were refugees for a short period of time."

Solana snapped her mouth shut. It was true they had fled Palaven during the Reaper crisis. A time she never wanted to remember.

"We haven't seen you on Palaven in the last two years." Garrus couldn't tell if Cadmus' statement was an indictment or simply a fact.

"No. I've been occupied elsewhere."

"We heard about your elopement through ANN," Solana spoke accusingly. This _was_ an indictment.

"It wasn't an elopement exactly," Garrus explained, rubbing his neck again. "We just didn't want to wait. After the Reapers, I didn't want to waste any more time."

"We didn't even know how close you were to Shepard. You could have said something," Solana went on.

"I never felt it was…appropriate."

Solana huffed. "Do you think so lowly of your own family, Garrus? Do you think we would deride you for a relationship with a human?"

Garrus didn't respond. That was _exactly_ what he thought. But he didn't think saying so would make anything better now.

Cadmus turned a severe gaze on Solana, who looked away. Cadmus wasn't one for "airing dirty laundry." "All the races, including the Turians, owe their continued existence to Admiral Shepard. She managed to pull us all together. No easy feat. I may not approve of all her methods throughout the Reaper conflict, but we will at least respect her for this much." Garrus found his father's defense of Shepard comforting.

Solana sighed loudly. It was clear she did not share in their father's assessment. Garrus wondered nervously what the night held in store.


	3. Reunion

When Garrus returned home, he found Shepard and her mother in the living area with little Tev crawling on the floor. Shepard jumped up from the couch, ran a hand through her hair and watched expectantly as Cadmus and Solana followed behind her husband. Cadmus stood taller than Garrus. His gray face was solemn, but his eyes sharp. She saw he keenly scanned their small dwelling, evaluating it. Solana was slightly smaller than Garrus, but still definitely taller than Shepard. She wore a figure-hugging dress of deep blue. It was rather fetching on her tall frame. She scrutinized Shepard instantly, her eyes bright. For a moment, Shepard was thrust back to her basic training all those years ago when the commanders walked the line of soldiers, eyes hard and critical. Shepard wondered if she passed Solana's muster.

Shepard felt a hand on her shoulder. Hannah had stood up from the rocker. She gave her daughter an encouraging smile.

"Dad, Solana…This is my wife." Garrus' voice revealed both pride and love in his statement.

"Admiral Shepard." Cadmus strode over to Shepard and held out his right hand. Shepard took it in a firm grasp.

"Ambassador Vakarian. I'm glad to meet you."

"We're family. Call me Cadmus."

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Shepard waited a couple seconds for Solana to introduce herself, but the female Turian remained silent.

"And you must be Solana," Shepard finally said, acknowledging her presence.

"Admiral," Solana responded coolly, her eyes narrowing.

Hannah squeezed Shepard's shoulder. "Oh, yes, and this is my mother, Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard," Shepard introduced.

Cadmus shook Hannah's hand. "You must be proud of your daughter's accomplishments."

"Indeed," Hannah answered, her smile broad.

"The galaxy owes her a great debt," Cadmus continued. Then he examined the dwelling again. "I would have thought they would have provided the great Shepard with more luxurious surroundings."

"We like it simple," Garrus said. "We want the colonists to understand we live with them, not above them."

"Like generals with their soldiers. Wise, Garrus." Garrus visibly relaxed at his father's approval.

"Would you like to sit?" Shepard asked.

"Thank you." Cadmus sat on the couch, then motioned for Solana to do the same. She sat gracefully, but searched the room with her critical gaze. Cadmus likewise ran an eye over the room again, finally craning his neck behind the couch. "And where is my granddaughter?"

His question caused everyone to start looking around the living area. When they had walked in the door, little Tev had been crawling, but now she was nowhere to be seen. Garrus finally spied her under a coffee table. He reached in and pulled her out.

"Here she is," he announced with pride. He walked over to his father. "This, Tev, is your grandfather." The little half-Turian eyed her new acquaintance warily, then broke into a howling cry.

Embarrassed, Garrus pulled Tev close to his chest. "Uh, sorry," he called out over her wailing.

Surprisingly, Cadmus didn't take offense, but started to laugh heartily. "She's just like you, Garrus." He turned to Shepard. "He was colicky for the first year of life. I knew he'd make a strong soldier."

Shepard smiled at Cadmus, then shared a glance with Garrus. So far, so good.

"It's good to hear you laugh, dad," Garrus commented. "I haven't heard you laugh since…" Then her broke off and looked down. He hadn't thought ahead. This was too personal. Living with Shepard had changed him. He'd become more…human…more open.

Cadmus waved Garrus' comment away with his hand.

"Since mom died?" Solana spoke derisively. She stared hard at Garrus.

"Oh…" Shepard mouthed, looking from Solana to Garrus and then to Cadmus. "I'm sorry."

"He didn't tell you?" Solana asked, her animosity now directed towards Shepard.

"Uh…no," Shepard answered.

"Too ashamed, Garrus?" Solana turned her glare back on her brother.

"Solana!" Cadmus spoke firmly, a warning to let the discussion drop. Solana looked away. A profound silence enveloped the group, except for Tev whose cries descended into breaths of air as her mewling came to an end. Garrus had paced to the far end of the room, turned partially away from the group, busying himself with consoling his daughter. At least, that was his cover. Inside, he was seething at Solana and trying to keep his anger from escaping and starting on all-out argument.

"It isn't easy being alone." Hannah Shepard's quiet voice filled the room. All eyes turned her direction. She smiled sadly. "My husband died when my own little girl was just fourteen."

Shepard remembered how hard that time had been, learning to live without her father. Garrus had never mentioned the death of his mother. When had she died and how? And why did Solana accuse him?

Cadmus cleared his throat. "Well, we've come a long way. Do you have any food that will suit us?"

* * *

Hannah had taken Tev, while Shepard and Garrus escaped to the kitchen, ostensibly to fetch dinner. As the door closed behind them, Shepard turned a quizzical gaze on Garrus, who stomped across the room to the far wall, leaned against it and folded his hands over his chest.

"Garrus," Shepard spoke quietly. "What happened? Why have you never told me about your mother?"

"Solana should learn to keep her vindictive tongue to herself," Garrus exploded in a harsh whisper. "She has no idea."

"About what?" Shepard asked. "What in the world is going on here?"

Garrus met Shepard's expectant eyes. "I never told you because I didn't see any reason to. I can't bring her back, no matter how much I wish to."

Shepard stepped in close to Garrus and took his hands in hers. "I understand."

"I know you do," Garrus agreed.

"When did she die? How?"

Garrus took a long breath before he answered. "Right before the Reaper attack on Palaven. She had Corpalis Syndrome."

Shepard squeezed Garrus' hands. "I'm sorry." She had heard of the disease, a neurological condition that caused its prey to lose all function in the body as the brain wasted away. It was a horrible way to die.

"The truth is we had little time to mourn. I only just made it to the funeral, then I was called away immediately after."

"So why is Solana so angry at you?" Shepard wondered. "You didn't give your mother the disease."

"She thinks I should have been there more for our mother. She thinks I didn't care."

"Why would she think that?"

Garrus shook his head, then pulled Shepard close, his arms encircling her waist. "My guess, she thinks I spent too much time gallivanting around the universe with a certain commander."

"Ah…so that explains the nasty looks," Shepard concluded. Well, at least she knew _why_ Garrus' sister hated her.

Garrus managed to chuckle. "Solana has never been one for subtlety. I swear she could stare down a Thresher Maw and get it to back off."

Shepard laughed softly, then hugged Garrus tightly. "Come on. They're waiting. We can get through this."

"Shepard, you know how I told you once I wanted something to go right?" Garrus' eyes had become serious.

"I remember." How could she forget? They had shared their first intimate moment that night.

"My mother's death, it was something else that went wrong. I helped get her to Salarian scientists and nothing came of it. I guess, after her death, and then seeing you again during the Reaper attack on Palaven, I wanted our relationship to work out more than anything else. And I guess, I just want to say, thank you for giving this Turian a chance."

Shepard smiled coyly. "Well, it wasn't difficult. You know my penchant for sexy Turians with sniper rifles."

Garrus chuckled again, pushed Shepard gently away and turned to gather the food.

* * *

When the kitchen door slid open, Shepard opened her mouth to announce dinner, then abruptly closed it. Hannah was still holding Tev, but her brow was furrowed in annoyance. She stood squarely in front of Cadmus.

"I don't think there was anything wrong with my daughter working with Cerberus," Hannah stated with finality.

"The ends do not justify the means," Cadmus countered, his serene face stern. "Yes, her actions resulted in good for the universe, but this does not mean it was right to step outside legal channels."

"As military, you must understand there are times to bend the rules, times when an officer must break a rule for the good of his ship, its salvation even."

"Then why create rules to begin with?" Cadmus asked. "If they are made to be broken you might as well leave every officer to his own devices."

"Yes, rules provide needed structure, but in a life or death situation, surely you admit that saving life is better than following a rule?"

"Is it better to destroy your own honor, your own oath to follow the rules? What of your own character? Your character drives those under your command. If you break the rules when you decide they no longer apply, those under you will do the same. We Turians have a saying, 'Strict leaders form lawful soldiers; Lackadaisical leaders birth weak fools.'"

Shepard and Garrus shared a look of helplessness. Cadmus and Hannah's voices were rising with every argument they made. Solana appeared entirely comfortable, smiling like a Cheshire cat. She eyed Garrus and he read the "I knew this would happen" in her gaze. It was all he could manage not to step across the room and slap the look right off her face.

"I'm _not_ saying rules are useless," Hannah insisted. "But you cannot blindly follow them."

"You follow your leaders. If they have made the rule, they have a good reason for doing so."

"You do know," Hannah replied angrily, "That your Citadel Council ignored my daughter's and your son's warnings. If they hadn't used Cerberus, we probably wouldn't even be having this discussion."

"We don't know that for certain. Lawful means could have been followed. Garrus saw the light. He came to me to form a task force, a sensible and lawful action."

"I can't believe you think that way," Hannah declared.

"I understand why you feel the way you do. Humans always allow their feelings to cloud objectivity."

"Oh really?" Hannah asked. "Tell me, why did you marry your wife?"

"Mom!" Shepard called out. Her mom was shrewd. She always knew the right buttons to push when she wanted to crush someone in a debate. But this was a low blow.

Hannah paid no attention to her daughter. "Well, why did you?"

Cadmus shifted in his seat. In his opinion, this question was out of bounds. Their philosophical discussion hadn't been about marriage. "I don't see how that question applies to our discussion."

"Did you love her? Or were your feelings absent?"

Cadmus shifted again. "That is a highly personal question. We Turians do not discuss such things with strangers."

"I'm not a stranger," Hannah insisted, "I'm family, remember?"

The dispute paused momentarily and both Shepard and Garrus took the opportunity to put a stop to the discussion, speaking at the same time. Shepard's "Anyone want dinner?" came out at the same time as Garrus' "Dad, let's eat something."

"Ah, yes, let's," Cadmus agreed, standing and turning away from Hannah.

* * *

Discussion over dinner remained polite and terse. The only interesting conversation concerned Tev. Solana wondered why they had chosen such a strange name, whereupon Garrus explained her full name was actually Terra Eve Vakarian. Somewhere along the way they had started using her initials, T.E.V., as a nickname and it stuck. Cadmus declared the name a clever one, catching the double meaning immediately. Terra's name referred to both the location of the final victory over the Reapers _and_ sounded like the Turian word for "protection." There was also some discussion as to the success they had in conceiving Tev with the help of Salarian geneticists. Garrus had figured if the Salarians could create the genophage and affect viable pregnancies, they might also be able to create a child from the DNA of two different species. Solana then objected to Tev's odd look, proclaiming hair on a Turian ridiculous. When the dinner came to an end, Garrus escorted his father and sister to the guest house next door, bade them good-night and made a hasty retreat. When he returned, Hannah Shepard was already in the guest room, door closed. Shepard had put Tev in her crib in the nursery. When he entered their room, he saw her sitting on the bed, her hand over her mouth as she tried not to laugh when she caught his eye.

"I think…" she managed to breath out through her hand, "if my mom ever calls again and your dad calls, we need to just tell them no."

All the tension in Garrus' body let go and he started to laugh.

"Not so loud…Tev…" Shepard reminded him.

He put a hand to his mouth until the laughter died away. Then, he undressed and slid next to his wife. He put his hands on her shoulders and drew her into his body.

"Could that have gone any worse?" Shepard giggled.

"At least I know one Vakarian and one Shepard that get along." He pulled his hand through her hair and breathed deeply. What was it called? Shampoo? He didn't care what it was called; he just loved the way it made her smell. "I'm glad you aren't upset."

"I think after battling Rachni, Collectors, Reapers, Geth and whatever else the universe decided to throw at us, a little family conflict isn't worth getting worked up over."

"Well said."

Shepard sighed contentedly as Garrus stroked her hair. "How many more days are they here?"

"Don't remind me," Garrus groaned. "Let's just not think about that tonight. I need to blow off some steam."

"Oh, well, I can help with that." Shepard reached down to remove her underwear.


	4. Getting Aquainted

Tev's cry rang throughout the small dwelling. Shepard grumbled and forced her eyes to open.

"Your daughter wants you," she mumbled.

She heard Garrus' grunting reply beside her. "Your turn. I rescued her from her crib yesterday."

She yawned. "But I put her to bed. That means you get her up. Remember our deal when she was born?"

She heard a deep sigh, but Garrus sat up. "We didn't sign a legally binding document."

"But you promised and, as I recall, you declared that Garrus Vakarian's word was impeccable."

"_Why_ did I say that?" Garrus scolded himself quietly. "What did I know about babies?"

Just as Garrus flung his legs over the bed, there was a sharp knock on the door.

"Yes?" Shepard called out.

"Just wanted to tell you not to worry about getting out of bed," Hannah's muffled voice came from the other side. "I've got Tev. I'll get her fed."

"Thanks, mom," Shepard intoned gratefully, then rolled over as Garrus flopped back onto the bed.

"Did I ever tell you how much I like your mother?" Garrus asked.

Shepard only giggled. She had closed her eyes, but she felt Garrus' embrace, then after a while, his deep Turian snores shook her body. When they had first married, his snoring had kept her awake at nights, but gradually they became a rumble that accompanied her into sleep. She felt her mind get hazy and let herself drift back into welcome darkness.

* * *

A sudden, loud knock on their door caused both Shepard and Garrus to jolt from sleep. Groggily, Shepard answered, "What is it?"

A hushed, but audible voice sounded outside. "Garrus' father and sister are back. Thought you might like to know."

"Mom, whatever you do, don't…" before Shepard could continue, Hannah interrupted.

"I won't do anything. I wouldn't have done anything last night if _he_ hadn't started it."

Shepard sighed. "Fine, mom, we'll be out in a minute."

Garrus had already climbed out of bed. He stretched and walked into the refresher unit. Shepard rose and stumbled into the shower. Ten minutes later they were both standing apprehensively in front of their bedroom door, Shepard's hand on the keypad

"Ready?" Shepard asked.

"Do I have to be?" Garrus asked.

Shepard gave him her best "mommy look."

"Fine. Open it."

To their surprise, when they walked into the living area, everything was civil. Not only that, but Cadmus held Tev. He was throwing her up into the air and catching her in a systematic rhythm. She laughed blissfully. Hannah was sitting in the antique rocker, sipping her coffee with one hand, a data pad in the other, reading.

"I didn't even know my dad knew how to play with children," Garrus whispered in Shepard's ear.

"Didn't he play with you?"

"No. Mom did all that."

Shepard wondered how often Garrus' father had even been around. Probably not much.

"Good morning!" Hannah called out when she noticed her daughter and Garrus standing at the end of the hall.

Cadmus caught Tev again, setting her in his lap. "Garrus, finally out of bed? You've slacked off, haven't you?"

Garrus knew his father always rose before the sun was up. "A little more sleep isn't a bad thing."

"It will make you lazy if you aren't careful," Cadmus answered.

"I took Tev this morning so they could get some more sleep. They had a long day yesterday with all of us coming in." Hannah spoke her words with clear antagonism.

Cadmus turned a direct gaze on her. Garrus took a breath. Not again…Cadmus said nothing, but nodded to Hannah.

_Okay…That was weird_, Garrus thought.

Garrus caught Shepard looking at him and he read her thoughts. Maybe things were looking up?

Maybe. Except that Solana was the proverbial fly in the ointment. Hannah and Cadmus at least were being cordial. Solana sat at the far end of the couch, her arms folded over her chest, scowling at the scene in front of her. She said nothing to Garrus or Shepard in greeting.

"Are you hungry?" Shepard asked, moving towards the kitchen.

"We ate when we got up," Cadmus replied. "Walked into town. Found a Turian shopkeeper who runs a small restaurant on the side."

Garrus knew the place: a hole in the wall with excellent dextro dishes. He often ate there for lunch.

"You go ahead and eat," Hannah encouraged.

"I'll just have coffee," Shepard said, then noticed Hannah holding out another cup.

"Made it already."

Shepard took the cup, looking into the swirling liquid. Black. Just like she liked it. She sat down in a chair next to the couch on the other side of Solana.

Garrus momentarily exited to the kitchen then returned with a small dextro packaged snack.

"Don't you want more than that, Garrus?" his father asked.

"I'm not that hungry this morning."

For quite a while, no one spoke. What with the events from last night, and the quietness of the room, it seemed no one wanted to chance breaking the peace. Solana probably would have, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Tev's giggles were the only sound in the room as Cadmus tickled her chin. Garrus watched on, shocked by his father's nurturing actions.

After he'd downed the snack pack, Garrus cleared his throat, then spoke. "Would you like to tour the colony today?" They had to do _something_ instead of sitting here in silence all day.

"Yes. I planned on that," Cadmus agreed.

"I'll go along," Hannah interjected.

"Why?" Shepard asked suddenly. Her mother's look told her she must have spoken with a challenging tone.

"I haven't seen it since nine months ago. I want to see the rest of it, not just the town. I want to see what my daughter has accomplished in such a short time."

"Well, then, how about we all go. Family outing," Garrus said, pacifying Hannah's insistence.

Solana's contemptuous snort declared what she thought of _that_ statement.

* * *

The tour began well. They started with Shepard's office, then Garrus' just down the hall. They'd introduced their families to a dozen employees, some staffers, some security. Garrus' father heartily approved of the combat training he'd developed and the shooting range he'd constructed. Garrus neglected to inform his father that one reason he loved his current job was the fact that _he_ was in charge. There was no red tape for him to follow because he _was_ the red tape.

Next they'd viewed the energy installation, a huge building housing hundreds of generators. Then the medical center, impressive in its capacity to service the many different races of the colony. By noon they found themselves in the entertainment district. A grand park announced they had stepped into the district, but after strolling its length, they walked into streets containing holofilm halls, dance clubs and bars. Garrus mentioned the challenge was keeping it free of riff-raff and crime, something he was entirely familiar with from his days at C-Sec.

Solana had just commented on the pervasiveness of Asari dancers throughout the galaxy when both Shepard's and Garrus' comm links beeped. Shepard put her hand to her ear.

"Where?" she said shortly, concern clouding her voice. "Any casualties?"

"Keep them calm," Garrus was instructing on his own link. "Create a perimeter."

"I'm on my way," Shepard said.

"We'll be there soon," Garrus echoed.

Both of them turned to their families. "There's an emergency out at the Viridian Plains, a skirmish between the farmers," Shepard informed them.

"I'll take them back home," Garrus told Shepard, "Then join you as soon as possible."

"Absolutely not," Hannah contradicted. "We'll just go on without you."

"But…" Shepard started to speak and was interrupted by Cadmus.

"We are not little children, Garrus. We can take care of ourselves."

"If you want…" Garrus spoke uncertainly.

"There's no time to waste," Shepard urged. She took Tev out of the carrier on her back, unstrapped the contraption and handed it to her mother. Hannah put the carrier on and Tev was placed back into it, albeit with some whining complaint.

Shepard and Garrus said quick good-byes, then made for the security transport already heading their way.

* * *

Thankfully, no one had perished on the Viridian Plains, however, several were wounded. One group of farmers had ambushed another. It took all Shepard's negotiating prowess to keep the group that was attacked from retaliating. While Shepard met with the leaders of both groups, Garrus investigated the event itself, interviewing and when necessary, arresting participants. Eventually, after hours of arbitration, the leaders of the groups came to an agreement and signed their names to a compact. They probably wouldn't have acquiesced if Shepard hadn't declared that if they didn't come to some conciliation, she'd revoke all their rights to their land. Evening had drawn near by the time she and Garrus loaded into the security transport and headed back to town.

As they pulled up to the offices, Shepard glanced at Garrus. "Do you think they made it through the day together?"

Garrus envisioned Cadmus and Hannah arguing followed by Solana skulking behind them. "I don't care if they've killed each other. I'm just glad we got away."

"Yeah," Shepard nodded. "I agree completely."

Shepard, Garrus and the security forces disembarked. They debriefed shortly, then all headed for home, utterly fatigued. When they arrived home, Garrus saw Solana sitting outside on the porch. She wore an angry scowl. The moment she saw him, she stood up and shook her fist at him.

"This is _your_ fault, Garrus Vakarian! First Arrian, then you, then mom and now you're taking dad from me!"

"Sol, what are you talking about?" Worry colored Garrus' voice. "What happened to dad?"

Solana stalked right up to her brother and pushed her face into his. "Shepard. That's what happened to dad. He's falling in love with _her_ mother." She huffed off to the guest house. Garrus heard the door's lock snap shut.

"Please tell me she's kidding?" Shepard pleaded. "She's got to be kidding."

"I know her. She's not kidding, but…" Garrus looked to their dwelling. "No, it's not possible. I _know_ dad."

He headed determinedly through the door. Cadmus and Hannah were sitting in the living room. With Solana's declaration, Garrus half-expected to see them entwined on the couch. Luckily, that wasn't the sight that met his eyes. They were both sitting on the couch, but one on either end. And they were just talking…and laughing. But Garrus didn't see anything resembling love. They were just getting along.

"Hey," Shepard said to her mother.

"Hi, dear," Hannah replied cheerily.

"So…" Shepard said slowly, "How was your afternoon?"

"Fine. We went to a club."

"You took Tev in there? Please tell me it was tame."

"Solana looked after her."

"She did what?" Garrus asked, surprised.

"Well, Cadmus wanted to go into this Asari establishment, and Solana objected, so I went with him."

"And what happened?" Shepard inquired.

"We drank and talked."

Cadmus started to chuckle.

"Well, okay, I did show him some dance moves." Hannah looked over to Cadmus. "He wasn't impressed."

"Tell me, Garrus, can your wife dance?" Cadmus asked.

Garrus eyeballed Shepard. "Uh…well, not really."

"Runs in the family." Cadmus broke into howling laughter.

Hannah looked at him with mock resentment. "You didn't show me Turian dancing. How do I know _you're_ so good?"

"Maybe tonight," Cadmus stated, his laughter quieting.

"Dad, you don't dance," Garrus said, the look on his face quizzical.

"I haven't in years. Hum, maybe I shouldn't try. Too rusty."

"Oh no you don't," Hannah declared. "I showed you that means you have to show me."

"We'll see," Cadmus replied.

Garrus turned his gaze to Shepard. She looked as flabbergasted and concerned as he. She turned to Hannah.

"Hey, mom, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure. Excuse me, Cadmus." She followed her daughter into the guest bedroom.

"What are you doing?" Shepard rounded on her mother the moment the door slid shut.

"Getting along with your father-in-law. I thought you'd be pleased." Hannah sat down on the bed and stared expectantly at Shepard.

"That's all? Solana thinks her father's falling in love with you."

"In one day? Hardly." Hannah's voice sounded with a dismissive tone.

"Then why does she think that?"

"Maybe she misinterpreted his offer for tonight."

"What offer?"

"He's taking me out to dinner."

Shepard evaluated her mother. Was this just "getting along" or was it something else?

"Don't scrutinize me like that," Hannah objected.

Shepard sighed and sat down next to her mother. "Last night you're about to tear each other's throats out and now dinner? Is this a date?"

"Of course not. He said he didn't care for the food you served last night and I challenged him to come up with anything better. He said he knew someone here who made the best dextro stuff around and he'd take me there to prove it."

"But you can't eat it," Shepard protested.

"I think he wants me there to watch him evaluate it and gloat. But he did promise to get me something, too, to carry along."

"And there's nothing more to it than that?"

"Nothing. We're just family getting to know each other."

Shepard nodded, though she still felt a smidgen of doubt. She was about to head out the door when a thought occurred to her. "Wait...my food is bad? Garrus has never complained about the food I give him."

"Honey, he loves you," Hannah explained. "Of course he wouldn't. I didn't find out for ten years your father hated my English Split Pea Soup."

Shepard slid open the door, stepping back into the living area. Garrus and Cadmus were making small talk. Looking at Garrus caused annoyance to flare up inside her. The state of the relationship between her mother and Cadmus disappeared from her mind. _Why doesn't he like my cooking?_ she asked herself in irritation.


	5. Admission

Shepard didn't have a chance to confront Garrus until his father and her mother had departed for their "just family getting to know each other not date." She stood at the front door with Garrus, watching their parents walk into town still continuing to chat and sometimes laugh. The minute the door closed, Shepard turned to glare at Garrus.

"Can you believe it?" Garrus spoke. "One day they want to kill each other and the next they're getting along."

"What do you think of my cooking?"

"Uh…" The switch of the conversation took Garrus by surprise. "Why?"

"You don't like it, do you?" Shepard asked, a hint of anger behind her voice.

"I never said I didn't."

"Your dad did. He told my mom."

Garrus rubbed the back of his neck. "He's not married to you. He can be more honest than I can."

"So you _do_ hate it?"

"Shepard, there's a reason you were a commander and not a cook."

Shepard put her hands on her hips. "So that day I cooked your first dextro meal and you gave me a glowing review of it, you were lying?" In her mind, Shepard was rethinking the last year. In the beginning of their marriage, Garrus had made his own meals. Then she'd decided to try her hand at dextro dishes. All this time she'd thought hers were the best around. She'd been quite proud of that fact.

Garrus glanced at the ceiling, not wanting to look at her. "Well, it's not like you ever taste what you cook for me."

"But I followed all the recipe instructions from the extranet," Shepard defended her cooking.

Garrus laughed. "The extranet?" Now he did look at Shepard. "Most of that's crap."

"So why didn't you just tell me?" Her brow was knit in anger.

"Oh come on, Shepard, you know the answer to that."

She knew what he would insist: that he loved her and he didn't want to hurt her feelings. But he _lied _to her.

"But you lied, Garrus. I thought we were totally open with each other."

"Are you saying you've never lied to me just because you cared about me?" Garrus challenged, a confident look in his eye.

For a just a second, Shepard's memory flew back to that day on the Citadel when Garrus had taken her for an illegal ride to the far heights of the station. That was the day their relationship took a new turn, when Garrus had asked if she was ready to be a "one Turian kind of woman" and she'd heartily agreed. They'd also had a sniping contest and she'd missed on purpose, just so he could feel good about himself. She remembered how she loved his proclamation, "I'm Garrus Vakarian and this is now my favorite spot on the Citadel!" In her anger, she almost wanted to tell him the truth, that she'd let him win. But she knew that would hurt his pride.

"I can't think of anything," she said instead. _I'm lying right now!_ she berated herself.

"Never, ever?" Garrus asked, eyes narrowed.

Shepard didn't answer, but shook her head. Garrus began to snicker, walked over to her and put his arms around her.

"You don't have to tell me," he reassured. "I'll just trust you did it for a good reason."

Shepard pushed him away. "Don't hug me. I'm mad at you."

Garrus shrugged. "You won't be for long. You never are."

"You're infuriating!" Shepard shouted.

"I know." Garrus winked at her.

Argh! He always knew how to disarm her. The great Admiral Shepard—brought down by a Turian every time.

There was a plaintive cry from down the hall. Tev had awakened from her slumber.

"Go get her," Shepard grumbled.

"It was my turn this morning."

"Mom got her up!"

"Doesn't matter. Remember the deal? We trade off." Garrus was giving her his best know it all smile.

"Fine!" Shepard stomped off towards the nursery.

* * *

As the evening wore into night, Shepard's anger diminished and slowly fizzled out. Garrus had been right. By 23:00, she found herself lying on the comfy sofa, reading from her datapad, Garrus massaging her feet. After she was thoroughly comfortable, she glanced at the time on her datapad, then looked to Garrus.

"So how long do we wait up?" she asked.

Garrus glanced at the door. "I don't know. My dad's never been out this late. He's early to rise and early to bed."

"You don't think Solana's right, do you?" Shepard wondered aloud.

"Maybe he just likes being with someone his own age," Garrus mused. "I didn't see anything like love."

"Hum…" Shepard intoned, thinking. Her mom had insisted there was nothing going on, nothing involving love anyway. But Solana had been so furious and so certain. As her mind played back Solana's statements, she wrinkled her brow, remembering something.

"Who's Arrian?" When Solana had launched into her tirade, she'd mentioned Garrus was at fault for taking everyone away from her, including someone named Arrian.

Garrus drew in a deep breath. "It's a long story."

"Well…who is he? Or she?"

Garrus stopped rubbing her feet, sat back, then stretched. "Solana's dead husband."

"Garrus, someday you're going to have to sit down and write a Vakarian family history for me." This visit revealed how little Shepard knew about her husband's past.

"At this point, you know most of it."

"You don't elaborate on details very well," Shepard complained.

"I suppose I don't," Garrus admitted. He took another long breath. "Solana married young. Arrian was a good Turian, in his own way. Solana specifically chose her mate from the Corps of Engineers, _not_ a soldier. He was a teacher, quite introverted and intellectual. For the time he was alive, he toned down her aggressive spirit."

Garrus paused, reminiscing. Shepard waited patiently for him to continue.

"We got along well, Arrian and I. He came to the Citadel one day, to meet up with a Drell scholar. We met and he expressed interest in C-Sec. So I took him along on a call." Garrus shook his head. "It was stupid of me, Shepard. It was a dangerous call. I guess I expected Arrian to remember his military training. To make a long story short, he got caught in the crossfire and died as I carried him to the medical center."

Shepard realized she'd been holding her breath as Garrus told his story. She breathed out slowly. Everything really _had _gone wrong for Garrus. No wonder he wanted _something_ to go right. And no wonder he'd become a killing machine after she "died."

"I'm sorry, Garrus."

He exhaled softly, sadly. "You get to say that a lot, don't you, Shepard?"

Shepard sat up, crawled down the sofa and climbed onto Garrus' lap. She tenderly touched his face. "Things _are_ going right now."

"With us, yeah." Garrus grinned, then looked to the door. "Let's not wait up any longer. I want my make-up sex."

"But I'm not angry anymore," Shepard protested.

"I can change that. I can tell you how much your cooking stinks."

Shepard punched Garrus in the arm as he picked her up and headed to their bedroom.


	6. Father and Son

An insistent, repeated chime sounded loudly. Garrus and Shepard awoke, both groggy. Garrus managed to stand up and throw on some pants and a shirt. He glanced at the time next to the bed: 05:03. It would still be dark outside.

"What is it?" Shepard mumbled.

"Probably a security call. I'll let you know if we need you."

"Okay." Shepard rolled onto her stomach and closed her eyes again.

Garrus slid open the door and walked into the living area, then to the front door. When the door whooshed open, it revealed, not a security officer, but Solana, annoyance and worry plain on her face.

"Dad didn't come back last night," she announced. By her tone, she obviously thought Garrus was somehow at fault.

The news caused adrenaline to pump through Garrus' body, his mind becoming more alert. "Shepard!"

He heard her struggle out of bed. She came down the hall wearing a bathrobe, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Dad didn't make it home last night."

Shepard looked over to the guest bedroom. The door was closed. She assumed Hannah was behind it.

"Maybe you should check on your mother," Garrus said suggestively.

Shepard turned to Garrus. "You don't think…"

"I hope not, but you'd better check."

Solana huffed and folded her hands over chest, her face now more angry than worried.

"But what if they're, you know…" Shepard pushed the image of her mother and Garrus' father in an intimate position out of her mind. She didn't want to go there.

Garrus simply waved a hand, encouraging her to find out what was behind the guest room door.

"Alright." Shepard walked to the door and knocked softly. "Mom?"

She heard a rustle and then a strained, "Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"What's wrong?"

"I just need to know something."

"Just a second." There was more rustling. After a few seconds the door slid open. Hannah appeared, wearing a black bathrobe, her hair disheveled and her face exhausted. Shepard directed her gaze past her mother. With relief, she didn't see Cadmus anywhere.

"Cadmus didn't come back last night," she told her mother. She saw worry pass over her mother's features. "What did you do last night?"

Her mother ran a hand through her hair and yawned loudly. "We went to a human restaurant, picked up some chicken Alfredo, then went to his Turian place."

"You were there all night?" Shepard asked incredulously.

"No, we took a walk through that big park for a while. Then I said it was way too late, so I headed home. He said he wanted to walk some more."

"What time _did_ you get home?"

"I think it was around 01:00." Hannah looked at Garrus. "I don't know where he is."

Garrus turned back to the hall. "I'd better get suited up and call in security." His heart pumped. Where was his dad? Had he been mugged? Murdered? _Not another thing that goes wrong, please_, he pleaded with the spirits.

* * *

Security started with the park. Units scoured it. Garrus paced up and down by the lake, peering in, afraid he'd see a body afloat. It had happened before several months back when he'd broken up that Batarian slaver ring. An informant's change of heart had resulted in his death.

After the park, he sent his teams into the entertainment district. They went from club to club, bar to bar, hall to hall. After about two hours, Garrus' comm link beeped.

"Yes?" he asked, his heart thumping.

"I think we found him, sir," he heard one of his officers, a Salarian who spoke in staccato, report.

"Where is he?" He couldn't keep the concern out of his voice.

"He's alive, sir."

_Thank the spirits!_ "Is he alright?"

"He's…not dead. Not injured. I think you'll want to come get him, sir."

Garrus cocked his head quizzically, but spoke into his comm. "Where are you?"

"At the Red Moon."

The Red Moon? Not the seediest place in the district, but close enough. "I'm on my way."

Garrus walked the few blocks to the Red Moon. Two bouncers stood outside. They both nodded when he approached.

"If we'd known it was your dad, we'd have called you," one of them insisted. Garrus knew they didn't want to be on his bad side.

"At ease, boys," Garrus said as he passed them and entered the bar. Sezish, the Salarian that had called him, was standing at the end of the bar with a couple other security officers. He waved Garrus over. As Garrus approached, he saw his father unconscious, sitting on a bar stool, his head on the bar. Garrus shook his own head, managing to contain his surprise in front of his men.

"He's passed out, sir."

The bar owner stood next to Sezish. "Look, Garrus, I'm sorry. I would have had a cab take him home, but I couldn't find an IdentiChip. I just figured I'd let him sleep it off."

Garrus glanced at the bar owner, a short, heavy set man in his fifties. "No harm done, Gordon." He turned to Sezish. "Send a security speeder. I can take him from here."

Sezish nodded and spoke into his comm. "Send a speeder to the Red Moon ASAP."

Garrus put a hand on Sezish's arm and looked confidentially at him, his other officers, and Gordon. "Let's just keep this between us, alright? No press." He had to do something to preserve his father's reputation. What a great bit of scandalous news this would be: Turian Ambassador to Earth Revealed as Constant Lush.

Everyone nodded. Garrus knew he could trust his men; he'd handpicked every one of them. His hard eyes remained on Gordon.

"I won't, Garrus, I don't want no trouble," Gordon said and held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I'll make sure it's all hush-hush."

"Good. I'd hate to shut this place down."

Gordon bobbed his head up and down, scared out of his socks by the grave Turian looming over him.

When the speeder arrived, Garrus took over for the driver. His men put his dad in the passenger seat. He drove back to his office alone, just he and his dad.

"So, dad," he asked when he pulled up to the administrative building. "What's got into you?" There was no answer.

* * *

Cadmus stirred, groaned, and put a hand to his head. A cough roared out of his body, exploding into the room. His eyes opened. This wasn't where he remembered being last. It was too bright and the light hurt his head.

"My father, drunk as a skunk." Garrus sat at his desk with his arms folded across his chest and watched as his father slowly sat up, keeping his hand on his head. Cadmus looked around. He was on a couch in Garrus' office.

"Drunk as a what?" he whispered.

"Saying of Shepard's," Garrus explained. "It means you couldn't hold your liquor."

"Ah." Cadmus leaned against the back of the couch.

"Since when did you start drinking?" Garrus inquired.

"First time in about forty years." Cadmus rubbed his neck. "I forgot how uncomfortable it is to get a hangover."

"I never knew you drank at all. You always preached against it." Garrus stared at his dad with narrowed eyes. "Makes the mind slow and the body weak, as I recall."

"It does," Cadmus asserted. "I think I'm proving that right now."

Garrus shook his head. To tell the truth, he was highly disappointed. With all the tension between himself and his dad, he'd still always held his dad up as paragon of virtue, a man who kept to his principles no matter what.

"We need to get you sober." Garrus stood up from the desk, picked up a cup of steaming liquid and handed it to Cadmus.

"Dyox," he informed his father. "Should do the trick."

Cadmus took the Turian drink, the equivalent of the human coffee, although even stronger. Garrus sat down next to him on the couch, leaning back and crossing his arms again. Neither spoke for several minutes as Cadmus sipped the drink pausing every so often to cough and shake his aching head.

Finally, Cadmus put the cup down on the floor and leaned back onto the couch sighing. He then turned his head to look at Garrus. Unexpectedly, he reached out a hand and patted Garrus' knee.

"Garrus, I've never told you how much you mean to me."

Garrus shifted uncomfortably. "Stop, dad. You've still got a hangover. You're not yourself."

"No, I am," Cadmus insisted. "I've spent enough time not telling you and Solana how I really feel."

Garrus wasn't sure he wanted to hear anymore. He felt embarrassed for his father. Never did they speak this personally. "Dad, if you keep talking you'll regret…"

"I won't. Stop and listen like a good soldier," Cadmus commanded. Garrus closed his mouth.

Cadmus took a breath. "I never told your mother how much I loved her, not until she'd deteriorated so far that she couldn't understand what I was saying."

Garrus knew the marriage between his mother and father had been essentially arranged: two important families connecting themselves through their children.

"But I did love her, Garrus. And I've spent every night since her death regretting that I didn't let her know."

Garrus wasn't quite sure what to say. But his mind pulled up a memory from when he was a child. He could picture his mother, young and beautiful, waiting at a spaceport for his father to return from a work trip. He saw clearly the look of excitement that appeared on her face when she saw him. He also remembered their tender embrace.

"I think she knew," Garrus spoke quietly.

Cadmus nodded. "She did. I'm sure of that. But I still should have told her." Cadmus paused. Garrus waited respectfully.

"When Solana and I fled the Reapers, I wondered if I'd ever see you again," Cadmus finally continued. "Even when it was all over, I still couldn't find the words to say to you or your sister."

"You don't have to, dad. We know." _Just like mom_, Garrus thought.

"But I don't want to wait until I'm dying to say it." Cadmus took a breath. "I love you both, Garrus, you and your sister. I'm proud of you. It's true I still don't like how you've handle some parts of your life, but that doesn't change the fact that I _am_ proud."

Garrus nodded and had to force himself to get his next words out. "Thanks, dad." This conversation was way too weird. Cadmus put his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands.

"Remind me never to drink, Garrus," he asked seriously.

"Will do. Out of curiosity, does this sudden openness have something to do with Hannah?"

Cadmus chuckled. "She got me thinking. She's human. Very open with every emotion."

"I thought you hated that trait in humans." Garrus could remember at least a dozen conversations on the subject.

"Hum, yes, I did, didn't I? Well, maybe there is something to be said for letting emotions show every now and then." He paused a moment, his head still in his hands. "It occurred to me last night that your wife would never die without knowing for sure her mother cared about her. Admiral Shepard was about all Hannah could talk about."

Cadmus turned to look at his son who was smiling. "It was a little annoying, to be honest," Cadmus professed. There was another long pause.

"Solana thinks you're falling for Hannah," Garrus revealed, his smile even broader.

"I like her, Garrus. She's not your mother, no, but she's lively. I think she brings out a better me."

"So does that mean…"

Cadmus stood. "I think we need to head back. I'm sure Solana's in a panic."

"She is, but…"

Cadmus headed towards the door. "Let's not waste time, Garrus."

Garrus trailed behind his father, his voice halted, but his thoughts active. Surely, his father wasn't falling for Hannah. Because that would be entirely disturbing.


	7. Sibling Rivalry

Garrus parked the speeder in front of the dwelling. He jumped out and walked around the other side to help his father exit the vehicle.

"I can manage, Garrus," Cadmus protested.

"You'll pass muster, but you're still recovering." Garrus reached out an arm and helped his father stand.

Cadmus took a deep breath. "Your mother was the one who stopped my drinking. I used to drink after work in the beginning. She finally confronted me one day. Told me it was inconsistent with my principles. She was right. Look, don't ever drink, Garrus, it's not worth it."

"Okay, fine, dad," Garrus said, acquiescing to his father. However, his inner thoughts contradicted his words: _But drinking isn't against _my_ principles_. _And I can hold my liquor just fine._ Garrus let go of his father's arm to test if he could walk by himself. When his father started forward, steady on his feet, Garrus followed. At the door, Cadmus paused a moment, then pushed the keypad. The door slid open and they walked into the living area.

Solana rushed over to Cadmus from the couch and took his hands in hers. "Are you alright, dad? What happened?"

"Just took too late a walk," Cadmus said. "I didn't mean to worry you, Solana."

"Just a late walk?" Hannah asked skeptically. Cadmus could tell she was analyzing him, gauging the truthfulness of his statement.

"Yes," Cadmus professed. "Just thinking."

"You got drunk, didn't you? Passed out, I'll bet." Hannah was grinning from ear to ear.

"My dad doesn't drink!" Solana rounded on Hannah.

"He did last night, dear. I can see it in his eyes." Hannah laughed. "It's not shameful, Cadmus. The older you get, the less you can hold it."

Cadmus scowled at Hannah. He was miffed at her, but also partially grateful he didn't have to hide the truth. Hannah's open way forced him to be honest.

"She's right, Solana," he admitted, patting his daughter's arm. "I did drink a little too much. But I'm fine."

Solana backed away from Cadmus, disappointment in her eyes. She walked over to the armchair at the end of the couch, sat down and went back to her habit of saying nothing. Cadmus cleared his throat, walked gingerly to the couch and sat down, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. There was an uncomfortable pause until Tev's giggling came from down the hall. Shepard entered carrying the infant.

"You're back," she said with relief, glad to see Cadmus alive and in one piece. She looked to Garrus who shook his head slightly. She got the message: don't ask, I'll tell you later.

Shepard felt the unease in the room. Everyone seemed apprehensive, except her mother, who was smiling delightfully at Cadmus. Shepard once again considered Solana's suspicions. Was it love or something else?

Cadmus yawned loudly. Embarrassed, he spoke sheepishly, "Out too late. I need to get some sleep."

"It's just now noon. You go ahead and take a nap, Cadmus," Shepard insisted, wanting to accommodate her father-in-law and alleviate his embarrassment. "I'll go pick up some lunch for us."

"There's no need to get me something. I'm not hungry," Cadmus said quietly.

"I think you and Garrus and Solana should go out to lunch. Enjoy yourselves," Hannah encouraged. "I'll stay here and watch over Tev…and Cadmus."

Cadmus sent Hannah a look of annoyance at the implication that he needed someone to "watch over him." But he agreed with her suggestion. "Yes, go. I'm not going to be completely functional for a while. You three go. You haven't spent much time with your sister, Garrus."

Garrus felt his sister's gaze, so he turned his head to meet it. It was clear that both she and he were thinking the same thing: they didn't need nor want time to be together. But Garrus had too much respect for his father.

"Then let's go," Garrus simply stated. "I'm starved."

To his surprise, Solana didn't object. She stood and walked to the door, a silent shroud. He wondered if she simply wanted to get out of the dwelling, away from a father who had fallen off the pedestal she put him on. He felt a glimmer of sympathy, knowing her emotion probably wasn't that far from his own when he'd seen Cadmus unconscious at the bar.

Still, she sent Garrus a furious look on the way out the door. Any sympathy Garrus felt disappeared at her bitter look. _Yeah,_ _just what I need_, _time with my sister_, he spoke sarcastically to himself.

* * *

Garrus, Shepard and Solana piled into the speeder he'd driven home. They drove to the hole in the wall Turian restaurant, no one saying a word. Garrus stopped along the way for Shepard to pick up some chow mien from a street vendor. At lunch, Solana maintained her antagonistic attitude, speaking only to order.

Shepard gazed awkwardly between Garrus and Solana. Neither even glanced at each other. As an only child, Shepard was out of her element. More than once while growing up she'd wished for a sibling. Now, she wondered if being an only was actually a blessing.

"So, Solana," Shepard spoke up, unable to take the silence anymore. "What do you do?"

Solana turned an annoyed face on Shepard, like she was a fly pestering a pleasantly undisturbed meal. "Father's secretary," she said shortly.

Garrus snorted dismissively. He couldn't help it. What with the tension from fearing for his father's life early in the day, then having to sober him up, something he never thought he would need to do, he was entirely fatigued. Self-control took a back seat to his frayed nerves.

"Problem with that, Garrus?" Solana challenged.

Garrus looked up from his meal, his eyes squarely on Solana. "I don't mind you working with dad, but you're wasted there, Sol."

"And how is that?" Solana asked angrily.

"You've got too many talents to be just a secretary."

"So you don't think I'm handling my career correctly, is that it?"

Garrus shrugged, but didn't answer.

"Like you've managed to do anything with yours, a simple head of security on a backwater world," Solana huffed.

Garrus plunked his fork down angrily. "I'd say defeating the Reapers beats anything you'll ever accomplish."

"Oh yes, your fall back," Solana mocked. "'I can't come home, Solana, I'm on a secret mission fighting Rachni or Collectors or Reapers.' Mom dwindled away while you traveled the galaxy. Fighting your enemies was more important than she ever was."

Now Garrus slammed his hand onto the table. Patrons turned their eyes, alerted to something happening in their direction.

"Garrus," Shepard whispered harshly.

Garrus took a long breath. When he spoke, his voice came out measured and careful. "I can't bring mom back, Solana. There were things more important at the time. The Reapers were defeated. End of story."

Solana shook her head, not buying Garrus' defense. "So you never had down time? Never a moment to stop by Palaven?"

Garrus took another long breath, but said nothing, only glanced quickly at Shepard.

"Ah, I see," Solana spoke quietly. "Shepard again. This human woman was more important to you than your own family."

Garrus abruptly stood up. He walked to Solana's side of the table, grabbed her roughly by the arm and started to haul her outside. Shepard stood up to follow, pausing only to instruct the restaurant owner who met them at the door to put the meals on Garrus' tab. When she stepped outside, she saw Solana trying to push her brother off her arm, but to no avail.

"Garrus, let her go," Shepard demanded. Garrus ignored her, but when he got to the speeder he let Solana go after he pushed her into it, not to hurt her, but to pin her down so he could talk to her. When he spoke, his voice was low, angry and dangerous.

"I've had it, Sol! This whole visit you've been acting like the brat of a four-year-old I wouldn't let tag along when I was a kid. You haven't been civil to my wife. My wife, Sol! She's an honorable, beautiful, compassionate woman and you haven't even _tried_ to like her. We're ending this, now!"

Garrus pulled Solana away from the speeder and opened the door.

"Get in!" he commanded.

Solana stood still. Her eyes were narrowed in anger. "How dare you…" she started to say.

"Get in, Solana, or I swear, I'll get you in any way I have to." Garrus' voice was taut with a clear threat.

"I hate you, Garrus," Solana rebutted, but climbed into the back seat of the speeder anyway.

Garrus shut her door a little too hard and tromped over to the driver's side. Shepard opened up her own door and slid into the passenger seat. She swallowed hard. She'd seen Garrus when he fought every horror imaginable. His face during their battles had always been set in a steely, cold, furious gaze—the same way he looked now, only then, as his commander, she had always known the plan of action. At the moment, she had no idea what he was up to. And that worried her.

* * *

Garrus pulled the speeder next the Combat Training Center so quickly, Shepard held onto her seat, afraid the vehicle would flip. The short ride to the center had been made in all too familiar silence. Shepard eyed Garrus, whose anger obviously hadn't diminished. He flung open his door. Shepard exited as well. Solana stayed put.

"Out!" Garrus commanded his sister when he opened her door.

"Garrus," Shepard pleaded, putting a hand on his shoulder. Garrus shrugged her hand off and sent her a solemn, furtive look. She knew he was warning her to back off.

"Don't dare me to drag you out," Garrus commented, staring Solana down.

Solana slowly got out. "You're just like I remember. My arrogant older brother."

Garrus didn't answer, but took her arm again. Solana put all her strength into shoving him off this time. In doing so, Shepard became aware that Solana was stronger than she looked.

"Get off me, Garrus!" Solana growled.

"Then you better…" Garrus began, but was interrupted by Solana who had already stomped off into the Combat Training Center. Garrus ran to catch up with her, stepping in front her to direct her down the hall. When he reached the door he was looking for, he gestured for Solana to enter. She went in before him and Garrus followed with Shepard bringing up the rear.

Shepard knew where they were. They were standing in an observation room. A window along one wall looked into a combat training room, a room devoid of any equipment save a cushioned mat that covered the floor. Shepard didn't come to the training center often, but she had stood by this window once or twice watching as Garrus instructed his security forces in hand-to-hand combat.

Shepard heard Garrus' voice, rough and hard, behind her. "Put it on." She turned and saw Garrus had thrown his sister some kind of outfit consisting of a navy blue shirt and pants.

"I wondered what you had in mind," Solana spoke haughtily. "This is child's play, Garrus." She folded her arms across her chest and stood glowering at her brother.

"So, you think you can't take me now that we're all grown up?" Garrus goaded Solana. "You didn't fight the Reapers, so I guess you're right."

Solana unfolded her arms and gestured with a fist at Garrus. "I can take you any time, Garrus Vakarian!"

"Then prove it."

Solana walked up to Garrus and pushed her face into his. "You're going to regret this." She moved over to a corner and began to change. Shepard turned away, wanting to give Solana her privacy. She took the opportunity to speak to Garrus, who likewise was changing into his own set of clothes, a loose fitting red shirt and pants.

"What are you doing?" she hissed out.

Garrus pulled the shirt over his head, then looked at Shepard. "This is the only way to put Solana in her place."

"So humiliating your sister in some wrestling match is going to make her like you better?" Shepard tried to reason with Garrus.

"No," Garrus agreed with her. "But it will settle the rest of this trip. And it's not wrestling. It's Pugna, the first combat art we learned as children."

"Garrus…" Shepard broke off when Garrus touched her arm.

"Trust me, Shepard." He didn't say it like he was pleading with her or asking her. He said it like he was demanding it, his anger still rich. He looked beyond Shepard at his sister, pushed passed his wife and walked over to Solana. He gestured towards the door to the combat training room.

Solana moved towards the door. It slid open, but before she entered, Solana looked back to Garrus. "Sure you want your wife to stay? Want her to watch as I kick your butt?"

"You wish," Garrus barked out, walking past her into the combat room. Solana laughed harshly, then followed him in. The door slid shut.

Shepard stood looking through the window. Garrus had proceeded to the far side of the room. Solana stood on the other side. Shepard pushed a button on the wall that would allow her to hear as well as see the match. She shook her head. What in the world did her husband think this would prove? That Solana needed to be more polite? This whole thing had gotten way out of hand.


	8. Match

Garrus took his place at the end of the mat on the far left side of the room. He turned around, his face set in stone as he squared off against Solana. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Shepard at the observation window. He knew she didn't understand. Shepard didn't fight unless she was forced to. For her, attaining peace with talk was preferable. He was sure she would rather he have sat down with Solana over a cup of Dyox and had a heart to heart with her. But Shepard hadn't lived with his sister like he had. Her aggressive nature wouldn't be swayed by sweet platitudes; physical defeat was the only way he could get her to back down.

Garrus focused on Solana. This fight would be short lived. He'd wipe that determined scowl from his sister's face in one pass. Solana's weakness in Pugna was her direct approach. She always faced a challenger head on, trying to take him down by sheer force. The subtle moves of the art were lost on her. He'd satisfactorily exploited her weakness numerous times growing up.

"Prim!" Garrus shouted, declaring the match begun.

Solana crouched down, moving back and forth like a caged animal. Garrus mirrored her movements, waiting. He wanted her to make the first move. He didn't have to wait long. After about five seconds, Solana came rushing his direction and he ran forward to meet her.

It should have all been over in the first charge. Garrus had planned to feint to the right, but dodge to the left, turn on his heel, grab Solana by the waist, throw her to the mat and declare himself victor. Instead, when Solana came within a few feet of Garrus she lithely changed directions and backed up, leaving him dodging and then lunging for nothing but air. He almost lost his balance. He'd just regained it, when Solana surged towards him again.

This time she made contact. Her foot slammed into his chest and he staggered backwards. He knew she'd swing her other foot around for another blow, so instead of doubling over at the pain in his chest, he forced himself to straighten out and back up out of the way. Solana's foot kicked into the air. When it missed, she didn't lose her balance at all, but gracefully swung it in an arc and placed it back on the mat.

Garrus stared at her with astonished eyes. Solana grinned. "You forget that the Reapers targeted Palaven. You think I sat around after you warned us and did nothing?"

"You practiced the combat arts," he stated, trying to sound confident rather than taken aback at her combat mastery.

Solana shrugged. "Nothing better to do. I didn't have the galaxy to save or a human to court. I had a mother and father to protect."

Garrus charged before Solana had even finished her sentence. Embarrassment at having been taken by surprise fueled his determination to win the match. This time it was Solana that took the blow. She found Garrus' hands on her shoulders as a mighty push threatened to topple her. Instead of falling to the mat, she threw her hands back and did a back flip to a standing position, turning to Garrus with a thrust directed at his abdomen. He caught her arm and attempted to flip her over, but she countered with a push from her free arm into his knee. It almost buckled, but Garrus let her go to regain his equilibrium. She jogged backwards to her side of the mat.

"Seems fighting Reapers didn't improve _your_ skill any," Solana chided her brother.

Garrus glared at her, breathing hard. "What do you think I was doing out there, Sol? Training? Our entire galaxy could have been destroyed."

"If it had, would you have had any regrets, brother?" Solana questioned Garrus. "Would remorse have taunted you for leaving your family when it mattered? You left Palaven to follow Shepard," she pointed to the window, "left _us_. We could have died and you would have abandoned us to death."

"I didn't leave so you would die," Garrus growled. He moved towards Solana. She crouched down again, ready for his attack. "I left to save Palaven."

"You left to join Shepard, Garrus, be honest."

A cry of frustration escaped Garrus' throat as he sped towards Solana. She made to move left, but he grabbed her round the waist and swung her in the air. She would have hit the ground except she braced herself with her arms and legs, fighting his effort to push her into the mat on all fours.

"I left to save Palaven! I've always cared about my family!"

Garrus was raising his elbow to plunge it into her back and knock her down when she kicked up with her feet, using Garrus as a springboard. She rolled across the mat and came to a standing position. She breathed in and out at a rapid pace.

"If you cared about mom you would have been there. You would have stayed by her side and held her hand." Solana took a long breath. "She died holding my hand, Garrus. She died holding my hand and calling your name. I'm the one who stayed with her and she wanted you! And you were even on Palaven then, playing with your precious task force!"

Garrus struggled to maintain his emotions, to keep them distant during battle. He had never known his mother asked for him when she died. When he'd returned home for the funeral, he hadn't had the time to spend talking to his dad and Solana what with all the visitors and relatives to greet. Then he'd been called by the task force with the announcement that the Reapers had arrived. He had forced every thought of grief from his mind so he could concentrate on the Reapers.

"If the task force hadn't been there," he said, wanting to justify his decision, "The Reapers would have taken Palaven overnight. I gave us time."

"And then you left!" Solana had regained her energy. She moved towards Garrus rapidly, her hand in a fist. Garrus caught the punch with both his hands and threw her back. She tumbled again and again came to her feet, but Garrus had stepped in behind her. He swung his foot under legs so that she came crashing down to the mat.

"Foul!" Solana cried out, standing to her feet. "You cheated!"

"You deserved it!" Garrus shouted back as he walked to his end of the mat. It _had_ been a foul. He had to move back to his starting position. Solana got to stay where she was.

"You always cheated, Garrus, even when we were kids!"

"I wouldn't call it cheating." Garrus turned back to Solana, waiting for her to call out. "I'd call it utilizing weaknesses to my advantage."

"Prim!" Solana shouted.

This time, Garrus came running to make up the distance. Solana waited, not moving an inch. Just when Garrus thought he would make contact, Solana grabbed his neck and swung up onto his back. Garrus pushed backwards, reached up with his strong arms and broke her hold. She slipped from his back, and jogged backwards again.

"You've always stepped outside the rules. You did the same thing with Arrian. He shouldn't have even been there, Garrus! You weren't allowed to take civilians on calls."

Garrus turned an angry scowl on her. "How many times do I have to apologize, Sol?"

"Every time I ask! You took him from me. I loved him!"

"Like I meant for it to happen!"

"Sometimes I think you did mean for it to happen. Sometimes I think you wanted to make me a lonely widow with no one."

Garrus felt a beastly cry well up in his lungs and explode into air. This time as he came at Solana he feinted to the left. She didn't see it coming. She sidestepped to the right. Garrus shoved his left hand into her waist and rolled her neck into his right arm, effectively capturing her in a headlock. Solana put both her hands on Garrus' arm using all her strength to get him to release his grasp. He pushed her towards the mat, but she used her legs to push back. For a moment, the siblings found themselves at a stalemate as each pushed with all the force they had.

"I never…wanted you…a widow…" Garrus spoke while he pushed at Solana. "I never wanted…mom to die."

"You did…want Shepard…You left us…for her." Sol echoed Garrus' strained voice.

"I…love…her…Give…in…Sol."

Solana's knees began to buckle. Garrus knew he had her—or thought he did. Just before she lost her legs, Solana pushed up with one more mighty shove. It was enough. It caused Garrus to become imbalanced and loosen his hold enough on her neck that she escaped his grip. She immediately smashed the heel of her hand into Garrus' face, sending his head flying back. She didn't wait for him to recover. She brought her foot up and kicked him in the stomach, sending him crashing onto his back. Her foot pressed into his chest, pinning him down. She looked into his face, outrage and sorrow mingled in her features.

"You have everything I ever wanted! You have a mate and a child! I have nothing!"

Solana pulled her foot off of Garrus, then stumbled towards the training room door. She didn't even seem to care that victory was hers. The door slid open. Shepard was waiting for her. She reached out a hand to help her sister-in-law, but Solana pushed it away. She limped over to pick up the dress she had changed out of earlier, then headed out of the observation room.

"I'm walking back," she spat out without glancing back, her speech labored as her breaths came fast and shallow. "Bring him home when he can get to his feet."

* * *

Shepard walked into the training room. Garrus was still lying on his back, motionless. Shepard approached until she stood by his head. She looked down at him.

"So, the great Garrus Vakarian, Fighter of Reapers, brought down by his sister."

"Shut up, Shepard," Garrus groaned.

"Your nose is bleeding."

"I know. I can feel it."

Shepard reached down a hand. Garrus took it and let her pull him to a sitting position. She sat down next to him and handed him a rag she'd picked up in the observation room. Garrus took it and dabbed at the dark blue liquid seeping from his nose. Shepard examined the room, recalling the fight she'd just witnessed.

"You did this as children?"

Garrus sucked in a breath, then blew it out forcefully. "It gets a bit more violent as you grow up."

"A bit?"

"Well, a lot."

There was a pause. Garrus put his hand to his stomach and massaged it. Solana's last kick had left its mark. Shepard shook her head at him.

"So what did that accomplish, huh?"

Garrus rolled his eyes over to her. "Not what I intended."

"She's hurting, Garrus, and I don't mean physically. She's hurt inside. Everything she said…"

"When you describe her like that, Shepard," Garrus interrupted, looking to the ceiling, "You make me seem an arrogant jerk for insisting on this thing." He gestured, encompassing the training room.

"What got into you?" Shepard asked.

"I was sick of Sol, sick of her attitude." Garrus looked down at his hands, studying the rag dotted with his blood. He turned back to Shepard who had fixed him with a "you feel more than you're saying" gaze.

"Alright, Shepard, yes, you want me to admit it? Admit I feel guilty? Arrian, mom, leaving Palaven, maybe I should have done it all differently."

"You can't change what you did and you have to live with that, Garrus. You can't spend your life chained to your past. It'll tear you to pieces."

Garrus heard the empathy in her voice. He reached out a hand and grasped her shoulder. "You can't be tied to it, either."

Shepard sighed. "We both have regrets, Garrus. Should I have joined Cerberus? Did I do the right thing at the time? Was destroying rather than controlling the Reapers the right thing? Every time I was asked to make a choice, did I choose correctly?" Garrus squeezed her shoulder encouragingly.

Shepard put a hand to her shoulder and took Garrus' hand in hers. "The truth is we can't know what would have happened had we made other choices. We have to live where we're at. We can mend past hurts, but we can't dwell in them."

"As Solana is," Garrus spoke in a hushed voice.

Shepard nodded. "She hasn't let go. Her heart's torn up."

Garrus laid back down on the mat, not ready to stand up yet. His nose had stopped bleeding, but his stomach still felt uneasy. He pulled Shepard's hand and she laid down next to him, propping herself up on her right side. He turned his head to gaze in her eyes.

"I may have regrets," he told her, "But I'll never regret my time with you. Not any of it."

Shepard smiled. "If there's one thing I thank the Reaper War daily for, it's that it led me to you. We found at least one good thing in the midst of a horrible situation."

Garrus contemplated her statement. "Maybe the universe is designed so we have to work through pain to get what is most important to us. We have to want it badly enough to pursue it."

"Maybe," Shepard assented. She put a hand on Garrus' chest, leaned over and kissed him. She rested her head on his chest for a few moments, listening to his heart beat and his lungs draw in air. After a time, she pushed herself back up.

"Come on, time to go home."

"Do we have to?" Garrus asked reluctantly.

Shepard stood up, gripped Garrus' arm and helped him to his feet. "You'll have to face her sometime."

"Yeah," Garrus mumbled out, his tone revealing his utter lack of enthusiasm. Seeing Solana wouldn't be a problem—it was talking to her that he feared. What in the world would he say?


	9. Brother and Sister

As it was, Garrus' fears were unfounded. When they arrived back home, Solana was nowhere to be seen. They found both Hannah and Cadmus on the floor playing with Tev. The infant was crawling back and forth between them, cooing happily.

"Hi!" Hannah called, looking up at them from the floor. "You were gone a long time."

"You look tired, Garrus," Cadmus commented, picking Tev up and tossing her in the air to the joy of the infant.

"I _was_ up early, if you remember, dad," Garrus reminded his father. He didn't mention he'd also been physically fighting his sister. He'd changed out of his Pugna clothes at the Combat Training Center.

"Ah, yes," Cadmus looked back to Tev, smiled at her and tossed her again.

Hannah chuckled at Garrus' remark, much to Cadmus' chagrin. He glanced at Hannah. "You can stop gloating now. You've been annoying me with that all day."

"It's just too funny, Cadmus. I'm sorry. I'll try not to laugh anymore." She then bit her lip, obviously trying not to laugh even now.

Shepard cocked her head quizzically at the pair on the floor, then realized that in the commotion between Garrus and his sister, she hadn't asked him what happened with his dad.

"Where's Solana?" Cadmus asked.

"She didn't come by here?" Garrus wondered.

"She walked home by herself," Shepard explained, sending an uneasy look Garrus' way.

"You haven't been arguing with her, Garrus?" Cadmus said in his best authoritative father voice.

"Not exactly," Garrus stated.

Cadmus let out an exasperated breath, but said nothing else. It was clear what he thought of his children's animosity.

"She's probably next door," Shepard surmised, then turned a direct stare on Garrus that unmistakably urged him to go to the guest house and talk to his sister.

"I'm going," he said shortly, and moved slowly to the front door. He touched the keypad and the door slid open. He didn't move any faster towards the guest house. He was trying to think of what to say. "I'm sorry" would be a good beginning he finally concluded, though pulling those words out of his throat would take effort. He reached the guest house door and touched the chime button. He waited several seconds, but the door remained closed. He pushed the chime again and again waited. Finally he knocked and called out, "Sol? Sol? It's me. Garrus." No answer. Garrus turned back to his own dwelling.

"Either she's not answering or she isn't there," Garrus told Shepard when he returned. Inside, he was relieved she hadn't answered.

Cadmus stood up from the floor. "I'll check on her, Garrus."

"Dad, really, you don't need to..." Garrus spoke, trying to stop his father, but Cadmus was already out the door.

"I'm gonna go clean up," Garrus said, and then beat a hasty retreat to the bedroom.

Shepard let out a loud sigh and collapsed onto the couch. Tev crawled over to her, then sat and held out her arms. Shepard picked her daughter up and cradled her. "What a day."

"So what happened?" Hannah inquired.

"With who?" Shepard asked, her eyes closed.

"Garrus and Solana. It's obvious something went down."

Shepard opened her eyes to see her mother staring at her expectantly. Her mother had always been so perceptive. It was a trait that made her an excellent ship's captain. It also had been absolutely irritating when she was a teenager. She'd never been able to get anything she did past her mom.

Shepard looked at Hannah warily. "Don't tell Cadmus."

"Why would I?"

"You've gotten rather chummy with him lately."

"Well, I've found him actually quite enjoyable to be around."

Shepard narrowed her eyes, reminded again of Solana's statement yesterday that Cadmus and Hannah were falling in love. However, she left her thoughts unvoiced and instead answered her mother's previous question.

"They had a fight. Not an argument. An actual fight."

"Now that would have been something to see." Hannah spoke with enthusiasm.

"Mom!" Shepard scolded.

"I've heard Turian combat is an art. It just would have been interesting to witness."

"It didn't look much like art," Shepard disagreed. "They pretty much just went at each other no holds barred."

"I suppose it was bound to happen," Hannah proclaimed, standing up from the floor and sitting cross-legged next to her daughter on the couch. Shepard sent a questioning glance at her mother.

"You can only wait so long until the kettle boils."

Shepard recognized her mother's proverb as one she'd heard often growing up. Her mother had always used it when Shepard was stewing over something, usually a relationship problem with a friend. It was her mother's way of warning her to make peace before she got so angry she couldn't contain it anymore.

Shepard nodded. "Well, it certainly boiled over today."

"Is Solana alright?" Now concern tinged Hannah's voice.

"She won," Shepard answered.

Hannah's face broke into a grin. "Didn't expect that answer. I guess the Shepards and the Vakarians produce strong females. I'm okay with that."

Shepard gave her mother an exasperated look, expressing her discontent at her mother's out of place positivity regarding the situation.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry Garrus lost," Hannah said, interpreting her daughter's look as disappointment at Garrus' failure.

"I'm not. He started it." Shepard actually thought her husband needed a little kick in the pants to get him to do the right thing, though she would never have said it to his face.

Hannah's broad smile increased. "You are definitely _my _daughter."

Shepard couldn't help but smile a little. She bounced Tev on her lap. _Who will you be?_ she asked the infant silently. _Will you be as strong as your grandmother and aunt? Will you be as stubborn?_ Shepard groaned inwardly. _If you are, I'm going to have my work cut out for me in your teen years._

"So what happened with Cadmus?" Shepard asked. It was her turn to get the lowdown on the Vakarians.

"He got drunk. Passed out."

"Uh huh. So why all the hush-hush?" Shepard had seen her number of drunk people, including close friends like Ashley and Tali. She didn't understand what the big deal was.

"Apparently, he had sworn off drinking in his younger years. I think that was the first time he drank since his twenties."

Shepard shook her head. "No wonder he was sloshed."

"You know, Cadmus takes himself too seriously. He needs to learn to lighten up a bit. Your father was that way, too, in the beginning. I think I wore on him, though, changed him for the good."

Shepard eyed her mother. "And you want to change Cadmus now?" It was a loaded question.

Hannah fixed her daughter with a cryptic stare. Maybe she would have answered the question, but the door slid open and Cadmus came marching into the room, anger evident on his face.

"Where's Garrus?" he asked. He sounded like a general prepared to reprimand his troops for dishonorable behavior.

"Uh, in the bedroom," Shepard answered, feeling a little like she was tattling on her husband.

To her surprise, Cadmus headed straight to the bedroom door and entered the room. The door swooshed shut behind him.

"I'd like to be a fly on the wall in there right now," Hannah confessed.

_I'm glad I'm not_, Shepard thought to herself.

* * *

Garrus had just stepped out of the refresher unit when the door to the bedroom slid open. "Shepard..." he started to say, when he saw it was his father. The look in his eyes was transparent. _He knows_, Garrus informed himself. He felt his stomach plummet.

"You're not a child anymore, Garrus," his father began.

"Yeah, neither is she. She won you know."

"I don't care," Cadmus responded. "What were you thinking?"

"Sol's been acting like a brat this whole time," Garrus spoke, defending his actions.

"So like a child you decide fighting her is the answer?"

"Look, dad, Shepard and I have already talked this out. I was in the wrong. I admit it."

"Then go tell your sister."

"I tried. She wouldn't let me in."

"Try again."

Garrus paused as he pulled on his pants and shirt, then said, "I think maybe it would be better if I let her calm down."

Cadmus put a hand on Garrus' arm. Garrus almost expected his father to do something physical to him, punch him or something. But Cadmus just spoke sadly.

"We don't have time to waste in this world, Garrus. You could lose your sister tomorrow. Make it right." Cadmus walked back out the bedroom door.

Garrus sat down on the bed. For the first time in two years, he let the weight of his mother's death fill his mind. His heart thumped and his stomach heaved. He didn't cry or throw up—he had too much emotional control for that. But he came to a sudden understanding of how wrecked Solana must have been when their mother died. How wrecked she must have been when Arrian died. And then she watched as Palaven turned to virtual dust as the Reapers attacked and she fled in fear with their father. Garrus also knew that she worried over him, wondering if he would ever make it home.

Sympathy for Solana overwhelmed him. Then the irony struck him. What had he done when he couldn't take things anymore? He'd found himself on Omega, dishing out his sense of rage and justice on its gangs. It was his way of getting back at an unfair world. Apparently, Solana's way was to be infuriated at everyone who had hurt her and he was at the top of the list.

Garrus berated himself. _I really have been an ass, haven't I?_

* * *

Solana didn't come back to the dwelling until dinner time. Shepard, Hannah, Garrus and Cadmus had spent the last few hours in small talk. Cadmus had gotten considerably vocal. Shepard couldn't help but think this had something to do with her mother's influence on him. He'd shared stories from Garrus' childhood, one involving a particularly embarrassing incident when he'd caught Garrus shooting the family cimex as target practice. Garrus explained that cimex were costly insects raised as a delicacy on Palaven. His shame didn't come from being caught shooting the bugs but in the fact that his father punished him by hiring him out as a waste disposal assistant for three weeks at his then crush's estate. Cadmus snickered over the story, but Garrus glumly reported that the female Turian he'd liked at the time wouldn't deign to speak to him after the incident informing him that she didn't want his dirty hands to taint her. He brightened when Shepard pointed out that his father's action kept Garrus from falling seriously in love, leaving the way open for her.

Around 18:00, Shepard started contemplating dinner. Now that she knew her dextro food tasted terrible, she didn't want to subject Garrus or his father to it. She knew they'd have to go out again. She asked Garrus and his father to discuss the Turian restaurants in the area, then stood up.

"I'll be right back," she said and proceeded to exit out the front door. She made her way to the guest house. It was actually larger than their own house. It had been erected primarily as a place to entertain dignitaries and since one never knew how many people would be in a retinue, the house had been designed with ample space. She stood in front of the entrance and pushed the chime. In a few seconds, the intercom came to life. "Who is it?"

Shepard cleared her throat. "It's Shepard. It's dinner time and…" The front door slid open.

Solana stood in the entry. She wore a fresh new dress, dark purple with black stripes down the sides. She didn't look angry or annoyed this time, just...tired, Shepard decided.

"Um, I just wanted to let you know that we're talking about where to go for dinner."

Solana nodded, stepped outside the door and let it close. She walked silently next to Shepard.

"Solana, I want to apologize for Garrus. It was ridiculous what he did. He…"

"Yes it was." Shepard didn't detect any resentment in Solana's voice, only a statement of fact.

"Well, I'm sorry he did it."

Solana nodded to her again. When they reached the dwelling, Shepard was about to open the door, when Solana took her arm, halting her movement. Shepard turned to look at her and saw sincerity in her sister-in-law's eyes.

"You're lucky," Solana said, her voice quiet. "When my brother makes a commitment, it's complete. His love will never falter. You'll never have to doubt it."

Shepard couldn't speak for a moment at the shock of hearing complimentary words out of Solana. She finally managed to say, "Yeah, I know." Solana turned and entered the living area.

* * *

Despite her newfound amiability, Solana didn't acknowledge Garrus' presence the entire night. Cadmus had decided that instead of going to a Turian restaurant, they should try out a human one. When Shepard tried to protest, he noted that the Shepards had accommodated them since they'd arrived and it was time to return the favor.

They walked as a family into town, stopped at the hole-in-the-wall place for the Turians to pick up food, then proceeded to an Italian restaurant Shepard and her mother loved for its pizza. The meal was pleasant. Solana said nothing, but the tension she'd displayed since she'd arrived had dissipated. Cadmus and Hannah contributed most to the conversation covering politics (which they found they mostly agreed on), history (insightful discussions on the Unification War) and media, where they discovered they both liked the abstract films of an Elcor named Tukalack.

It was late when they walked back home. As they left the restaurant, Tev had reached out her arms for her aunt. Shepard was pleased when Solana didn't object and instead, welcomed the infant into her arms. She'd even actually smiled a little, speaking softly to her niece.

When they reached home, Cadmus said good-night and headed to the guest house. Solana said she'd put Tev to bed and entered the house along with everyone else. Inside, Hannah yawned and said her own good-night, then retreated to the guest room.

Finding themselves alone, Shepard looked towards the nursery and nudged Garrus.

"She's been so...agreeable. Maybe I should just let it go," Garrus suggested, but Shepard looked at him as she would an ensign who threatened to disobey her orders.

Garrus reluctantly walked towards the nursery. Shepard passed him on her way down the hall to the bedroom and nodded encouragingly.

When he stepped into the nursery, it was illuminated by a soft glow from a nightlight on the wall. Tev was in the crib, already fast asleep. Garrus saw Solana's silhouette next to the crib. With a start, Garrus recognized the sound of crying. Solana _never_ cried. Garrus walked forward and tentatively put a hand on her left shoulder.

"Sol?" he asked in a whisper.

Solana didn't turn around. "It's not fair, Garrus," she breathed out between the gulps of her crying.

The sympathy Garrus had felt earlier returned in force. He moved his other hand to Solana's right shoulder. She leaned back into him, shaking.

"This is what I wanted. I wanted a family. Why don't I have one? Why?"

"Sol, I'm sorry. I'm a fool. I'm sorry for everything. That Arrian and mom died, that you had to face the Reapers without me. Life hasn't been fair to you at all."

"I hate my life," Solana revealed. "I hate working for dad."

"Then do something else. It's not too late."

Solana turned around to look at Garrus, wiping the tears from her face. "I'm working for dad because I feel, if I leave him, something will happen to him and I'll lose him, too."

Garrus pulled Solana to himself and put his arms around her wanting to comfort her. He remembered once when several bullies had attacked her and he'd found her later in an alcove, trembling. He'd held her just like this, a big brother sheltering his sister. He also remembered what happened to the bullies when he'd tracked them down. They never bothered her again.

"Listen, Sol, you can't think that way. You can't live in fear that something will happen. You always wanted to write and teach. Then do it. Dad can take care of himself."

"Dad talked to me this afternoon. Told me he loved me for the first time."

"Yeah, he told me, too, when I found him this morning."

"Mom's death changed him. Made him take a hard look at himself."

Garrus understood that. He'd been changed, too, over time by the deaths of friends and colleagues.

"Mom's death changed me, too. And the Reapers destroying Palaven. So many friends lost. I feel all alone."

Garrus gently pushed Solana back so he could look at her. "You're not alone, Sol. I may not be on Palaven, but I'll always be here for you. I'll have your back. You call me and I promise, I'll be there."

"It's a nice sentiment, Garrus, but you have a family now. They need you more than me."

Garrus opened his mouth to insist, but Solana continued. "It's just a fact. You take care of your family and I'll take care of dad."

Garrus knew Solana was right. He knew there wouldn't be many times he could just drop everything and fly to Palaven.

"At least call me when you need help. I have a lot of connections."

Solana smiled. "Anyone you know hiring teachers?"

"I bet Palaven needs them now more than ever. We lost so many in the Reaper War."

"I know they need them. I handle all dad's reports on the restructuring."

"So give it a shot."

"But maybe dad won't want me to…"

Garrus shook his head. "Who cares what dad thinks? This is _your_ life. A teaching job isn't as prestigious as being the secretary of an ambassador, but you've never cared about prestige."

"That's true," Solana agreed. "Maybe I will, then. I'll think about it." She smiled up at Garrus. "It's late. I should go." She moved to leave the nursery, but paused in the doorway, looking back.

"One more thing," she eyed Garrus mischievously, "Told you I'd kick your butt."

"If you keep that up, I'll have to demand a rematch." Garrus grinned back at her.

"Any time, Garrus Vakarian, any time."

Solana left the nursery and Garrus heard the front door open and close. He put a hand into the crib and tenderly stroked Tev's cheek. She stirred a little and breathed out softly. He walked to the living area, locked the door, then entered the bedroom.

"So how'd it go?" Shepard had already changed into her nightgown and sat looking at him anxiously from the bed. He sat down next to her and enveloped her in a loving embrace.

"Did you know I'm the luckiest Turian in the galaxy?"

"Solana tell you that?"

"Not directly."

"She told _me_ that. Said I was lucky to have your love."

"Well, she's right. I am quite a catch." He winked at Shepard who chuckled at his bravado. He put his hand under Shepard's chin and tilted her head to face him. He kissed her gently.

"I'm guessing this sudden amorousness means your talk went well," Shepard speculated after his lips left hers.

"I have to admit, Shepard, that your approach worked—this time."

"I would have thought with all my negotiations on the Normandy you would have figured out that _my_ way is the best way."

"You're good with words. I'm not."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Your silver tongue gets you what you want most nights."

"And tonight?"

"I have a headache."

"Not that," Garrus grumbled. Shepard had told him early on in their marriage that "I have a headache" was code for "You aren't getting any no matter how much you beg."

"I'm exhausted. I need sleep. Your dad and sister leave tomorrow and I want their last day to be a good one. It hasn't exactly been a stellar visit for them."

"Alright, Shepard. I get the point."

Shepard rolled onto the bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. Garrus changed, then slipped in next to her. "But tomorrow night, you're mine," he whispered into her ear.

"We'll see," Shepard intoned, patting his arm under the covers.


	10. Going Right?

Shepard watched as her mother glided down the aisle. She'd never seen her so pretty. As a no-nonsense ship's captain, Hannah usually considered make-up unnecessary. But she'd allowed herself to be airbrushed today, enhancing her rugged beauty. Her hair flowed freely down her back in hundreds of deep red curls and her eyes radiated happiness. She wore a white, sleeveless dress that fell below the knee. Despite its simplicity, it was still striking, emphasizing her mother's hourglass shape. Hannah's face lit up when she reached the end of the aisle and smiled at the Turian standing beside the ocean.

Cadmus reached out a hand and Hannah took it, beaming. They stood before Admiral Maddock, a family friend of the Shepards and Hannah's first captain. He'd been Shepard's father's best man and his stand in when her father passed away. He smiled at the two who stood before him about to be joined for eternity.

Just before Maddock started to pontificate about the meaning of marriage, Cadmus held a finger up asking for a moment. He leaned over to Hannah and whispered in her ear. Hannah giggled, then approached Shepard.

"He wants to show you something."

Shepard wondered about the interruption of the program, but walked over to Cadmus curiously.

"I've wanted you to know the truth for a long time," Cadmus said and reached up to his face. He pulled at his forehead and began to peel it away. Then his clothes melted and his skin slid off. His eyes were glowing. Shepard backed away as a Turian husk stood before her. It opened its mouth full of sharp teeth and lunged at her…

* * *

Shepard sat upright so forcefully, the bed shook. She looked this way and that, terrified in the dark room. _A dream_, she realized, _just a dream_. She put her hand to her heart. She could feel it thumping rapidly. She took a breath, heard the rustle of sheets and felt a familiar hand on her arm.

"Dreaming again." Garrus spoke with certainty. The dreams had diminished, but they still came back to her every now and again. "What was it this time? Reaper? Collector?"

"Husk," Shepard told him. She took another breath and reached for the glass of water beside her bed, taking a long sip to sooth her dry mouth. She laid back down. Garrus kept his hand on her arm.

"To be specific," Shepard went on, "your father turned into a husk…at a wedding…where he was marrying my mother."

"Hum…" Garrus intoned. "What part was the nightmare?"

Shepard laughed aloud. "I guess it all was. Not that your dad isn't great, but…I just can't imagine that."

"Apparently your mind can imagine that just fine when you're asleep," Garrus countered.

"Well, yes, but it didn't turn out well, did it?"

Garrus had shifted in the bed, glancing at the clock on the night side stand. "It's just now 03:19. Go back to sleep."

Shepard closed her eyes, but the horror of the dream was still fresh and her adrenaline was still pumping. Her eyes popped open as a thought occurred to her.

"Do you realize, Garrus, that if my mother and your father got married, we'd be step-brother and step-sister?"

"Let's not go there, Shepard," Garrus advised.

Shepard shut her eyes again. It was quiet for a moment until Garrus broke the stillness. "Of course, if we did end up being brother and sister, I wouldn't have to worry about getting along with my new sister."

Shepard opened her eyes. She knew Garrus was looking at her, even though she couldn't see him in the dark. She envisioned the grin on his face.

"Like you said, let's not go there." She rolled onto her side and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Tev's ringing cry caused Shepard to bolt out of sleep again. Garrus rolled over onto his stomach, but didn't wake up. Shepard looked at the clock: 04:35. _It's too early for this_, she complained mentally. She stood up and quietly slipped out the door, then entered the nursery. Tev immediately quit crying when she perceived her mother in the doorway. She let out with a string of indecipherable babbles. Shepard plodded over to the crib and picked her up.

"Look, stinker," she scolded softly, "This is way too early."

She bounced the infant up and down in her arms and sang quietly to her. She knew her singing voice wasn't anything to brag about, but Tev never disapproved. She finally decided to move into the living room and rock Tev, hoping to put her back to sleep. She didn't know what time it was when she heard the bedroom door swoosh open. Garrus came down the hall.

"Wondered where you went," he mumbled.

"What time is it?" Shepard whispered.

"05:50."

"Sorry I got you up."

"It's alright," Garrus said as he sat down on the couch. He rubbed his eyes and let out a loud yawn.

"She fell asleep again, but I didn't want to disturb you getting back into bed, so I just held her." Little Tev snored lightly, her head nestled against the crook of Shepard's arm. Garrus put his elbows on his knees and closed his eyes.

"About that dream…" Shepard began.

"Still bothering you?" Garrus asked, not looking at her.

"Not the husk, but the…marriage."

Garrus opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. "You do think they're in love, don't you?"

"I don't know, Garrus. I've tried to ask mom about it, but she's acting kind of coy. At least, that's how I interpret it."

"I tried to ask dad, too."

"And?"

"He walked off before I could get the question out."

"Hum…"

Garrus sat up and leaned back into the couch. "I know what it might look like, but I just don't see our parents getting together."

"But last night, they chatted away the whole evening."

"Chatting, that's all they did."

"Relationships start that way, Garrus, getting to know each other. Just talking."

Garrus recalled the number of conversations he and Shepard had before they hooked up. "I concede the point. Still, I don't think…"

Garrus was interrupted when the door to the guest bedroom opened. Hannah stood in the doorway dressed in her bathrobe. "Could you guys whisper any louder?"

"Mom, you…heard all that?" Shepard stammered.

"No. I just heard a bunch of hisses outside my bedroom. What? Having a private marital conversation?"

"Uh, yeah," Shepard said quickly.

"Well I didn't catch any of it."

"Tev woke up," Shepard explained, changing the subject. "I came out here to rock her, then Garrus woke up."

Hannah turned a wan smile on her daughter. "I love you, hon, but I don't miss those days. At least, not the waking up with the sunrise part. I'm gonna go ahead and shower and get dressed."

"Okay, mom."

Garrus stood up once Hannah closed her door. "I didn't see dad in there, so I think we're safe for now," he teased Shepard. She stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed and moved towards the hall. "I might as well get dressed, too."

"I'll be there in a moment, let me put Tev back in the crib." Shepard stood up slowly and glanced at the guest room door on her way to the nursery. _We're safe for now, but what about later?_

* * *

Cadmus and Solana came over to the dwelling not long after Shepard and Garrus had finished getting ready for the day. Once again, they'd already had breakfast in town, so Garrus ate another packaged snack. Shepard reminded herself that she'd need to take Garrus grocery shopping with her next time so he could pick out ingredients and resume making his own meals.

Hannah emerged from the guest bedroom five minutes after Cadmus and Solana showed up. She was wearing a fetching, free flowing green dress. Shepard pondered briefly what her mother's crew would think if they could see her now. Shepard liked the way her mother looked out of uniform—this was the Hannah Shepard she remembered growing up with.

"What's the plan for the day?" Hannah asked brightly.

"We don't have to do anything involved, Garrus," Cadmus said. He looked to Hannah. "Our transport doesn't arrive until 17:00," he explained to her, then continued. "I could do with something relaxing."

"I was thinking we might take you to see the Viridian Plains. They're beautiful in the spring," Shepard suggested.

"Sounds good," Hannah affirmed.

"Then I thought we'd pick up some lunch and have a picnic in the park. It would do us good to all get some fresh air."

"Solana?" Cadmus asked, seeking her opinion.

Solana shrugged. "Fine with me."

Shepard called for her private speeder. Ten minutes later the whole family was headed to the Viridian Plains. When they arrived at a small village on the edge of the plains, Shepard introduced them to one of the farmers, John Hiebert. He was one of the peace makers and Shepard liked him intensely. He agreed to join the group and show them around the plains. His easy going manner relaxed them all. Shepard was pleased to see that Solana and Garrus were getting along. They didn't say much to each other but it was clear their antipathy had faded away. Cadmus and Hannah praised the farmers highly for producing such fertile farmland in so short a time. Shepard mentioned that the farmers on Concilia were held in high esteem because their efforts kept the colony fed.

By the time the tour ended it was an hour away from lunch. They said good-bye to John, took the speeder into town, picked up food for all parties in the group and headed to the park. The park was crowded on the first day of the weekend, but they managed to find a quiet out of the way spot next to a large tree. Shepard spread out a blanket and they all sat down to eat, except Tev who laid on the blanket and proceeded to take a nap.

"Remember when your dad and I would take you to picnic?" Hannah asked between bites of the apple she was savoring.

Shepard nodded. She loved those picnics. Fond memories of kites and ball games and swimming.

"What about you?" Hannah addressed the Vakarians. "Is picnicking popular on Palaven?"

"Turians used to," Solana said sadly. "We're still trying to recover the environment. You can't be outside much with the amount of dust that blows around."

They conversed and ate until they were all pleasantly full and relaxed. They fell into a peaceful lull, enjoying the breeze and beauty of the sunny day. Shepard fed Tev, who had awoken and cried out in hunger, a jar of baby food. _Things are finally going right_, Shepard thought to herself. Maybe Cadmus and Solana would have good memories of their visit after all.

"Are you kidding me? Here?" Hannah abruptly jumped up, peering excitedly at two vehicles skimming the surface of the lake. "Aqua Racers!"

Shepard giggled at her mother's childlike enthusiasm. "A Salarian down the lake rents them out. What's his name?" She looked to Garrus who had extensive knowledge of every person in Concilia as the head of security.

"Roban."

"That's it."

"What is an Aqua Racer?" Cadmus inquired.

"You've never been on an Aqua Racer?" Hannah asked, shocked. "You've missed out."

"It's a two-manned speeder for water," Garrus described the craft to his dad.

"I've got to ride one," Hannah declared and turned to the group. "Who's going along?"

"I'm feeding Tev," Shepard said, though she really wanted to go. She hadn't been on an Aqua Racer since she was in the Cadet Corps.

Solana reached over and took the baby food jar from Shepard. "I'll feed her. You go." Shepard gratefully smiled at her sister-in-law. Solana really was likable once she stopped being hostile.

"Cadmus, you _have_ to come," Hannah insisted, pulling at his shoulder.

"I don't know…"

"You'll like it dad. It _is_ fun," Garrus informed his father.

"Well, I suppose I'll go then."

"Garrus? Can't leave your wife to go alone," Hannah coaxed.

Garrus stood. "I'm coming."

The four made their way to the rental hut by the lake. Roban met them, a boisterous, overly happy Salarian. "You want to try them?" he asked cheerfully.

They rented two of the Racers, one for Hannah and Cadmus and one for Shepard and Garrus. In a few moments they had also changed into the wet suits and lifejackets provided by Roban. The Salarian led them down to the water and pointed out their Racers. Each Racer had two seats, one in front and one in back. Handlebars on the front allowed for piloting them across the water.

"You want to steer first, Cadmus?" Hannah asked, gesturing towards the Racer.

"I think you have more experience. I'll defer to you for now."

"Alright," Hannah agreed eagerly. She climbed into the front seat and Cadmus took the back. He glanced around.

"How do I hang on?"

"Hold my waist."

"Ah." Cadmus tentatively reached out and put his arms around Hannah's middle. Shepard was trying to gauge if he was enjoying that position a little too much when Garrus tapped her shoulder.

"You steering?"

"You go ahead." She straddled the speeder in the back seat while Garrus took the front. She put her arms around his waist. Garrus pressed the handlebars and revved up the Racer; it shuddered as it came to life. Hannah followed suit.

"Let's go," Hannah called out. Her Racer leapt forward, cruising across the water. Shepard heard her mother's whoop of glee and couldn't help but smile. Garrus followed in Hannah's wake.

It was clear Hannah relished the speed of the Racer. She zigzagged and circled and performed figure eights. Shepard couldn't make out Cadmus' face in all the movement. She wondered if he was smiling or holding on in terror.

Garrus kept parallel to Hannah for a while, then pulled back behind her to jump the waves created by her wake.

"I didn't know you were this good at using an Aqua Racer," Shepard yelled through the wind whipping her face.

"They don't have them on Palaven, but I used them on Omega," Garrus shouted over his shoulder.

"I thought you were hiding and shooting mercs the whole time."

"Everyone has to take a break sometime, even Archangel."

"Wait! Omega has Aqua Racers?"

"One whole level of that place is nothing but water," Garrus explained. He knew Omega inside and out. "I don't know if racing down there was sanitary. I'm pretty sure we were racing on the water dispensed to the entire facility."

Hannah had turned her Racer back towards Garrus and Shepard. She waved her hand at them, indicating she wanted them to stop. Garrus cut the power and Hannah brought her Racer alongside. Shepard now could see that Cadmus was grinning widely.

Hannah regarded her daughter, smiling wickedly. "Want to race?"

"Oh, I think I beat you squarely when I was eighteen." Shepard laughed, remembering how she crowed over the fact that she had finally bested her mother at aqua racing.

"I never got my rematch," Hannah prodded her daughter, causing Shepard to recollect that she had left for basic training a week after the race.

"Maybe I'd better not…" Shepard didn't want to give bragging rights back to Hannah.

"Chicken," her mother taunted.

Shepard stood up from her seat. "You're on."

Garrus stood up as well and switched seats with his wife. Hannah pulled her Racer to the left, several yards away, yet still parallel to Shepard and Garrus. She pointed and called out, "To that buoy." Shepard looked ahead and spotted a yellow buoy bouncing in the water. She gave her mother a thumbs up to let her know she'd understood and situated herself in the front seat, gripping the handlebars. She felt Garrus' arms tighten around her middle.

"So we Vakarians settle our differences using the combat arts, but Shepards are so much better. They use Aqua Racers." Shepard recognized the teasing tone in Garrus' voice.

"It's just friendly competition," Shepard objected.

"Oh that's what you call it."

Shepard would have turned in her seat and sent Garrus a dirty look for his teasing, but her mother shouted "Go!" and pointed forward.

The Racer lurched violently forward as Shepard squeezed on the handlebars. She kept her mother in her peripheral vision. They were parallel, neither in the lead. Shepard leaned over and pushed her Racer farther by engaging the supplemental drive with her right foot. The Racer trembled at the increase in speed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother disappear as she shot ahead. She had almost reached the buoy and was contemplating how to jubilantly celebrate her win when Garrus shouted out.

"Dad!"

Shepard arced around the buoy, then throttled the Racer down and looked back. Her mother's Racer sat empty, oscillating in the water. She identified her mother in the lake spluttering, but managing to breathe. Cadmus bobbed up and down nearby, apparently unconscious. Shepard revved the Racer again and sped towards Cadmus.

As they approached, Garrus recalled Cadmus' admonition to make it right with Solana because he could lose her anytime. He knew too well you could lose any one at any time. _This better not be one of those times_, he implored inwardly.


	11. Departure

Shepard slowed the Racer down and cut the engine next to Hannah and Cadmus. Garrus called out "Dad!" as Shepard simultaneously cried out "Mom!" Shepard heard a splash as Garrus jumped into the water, attempting to make his way to Cadmus. She focused her attention on her mother who had swum over to their Racer. Hannah coughed forcefully.

"What happened?" Shepard asked, reaching down to grab Hannah's arm and pull her onto the Racer.

"Hit the supplemental drive…Gave it too much juice…Jerked and stalled…I think we might have flipped," Hannah answered between deep breaths. Her mother leaned on the back seat of the Racer, wiped a hand over her face to push wet hair out of the way and stared into the water. "Cadmus—Is he okay?"

Shepard turned her attention to Garrus who was staying afloat, though he hadn't reached his dad yet. It was then that she remembered Turians were lousy swimmers.

"Hang on, mom." Shepard clambered back onto the front seat and revved the Racer, maneuvering it over to Garrus.

"Hold on!" she instructed her husband. Garrus took a hold of the side of the Racer and Shepard pulled him over to his dad. He gripped Cadmus' lifejacket and drew him towards the Racer.

"Dad! Dad!" Garrus shook the lifejacket.

"I'm not deaf, Garrus," Cadmus answered, his eyes still tightly closed.

"Are you alright?"

Cadmus opened one eye. "I'm wincing in pain. Does that answer your question?"

Garrus couldn't help but smile just a little. This was _his_ dad alright—staunch even when injured. "What's wrong?"

"One of my toes," Cadmus answered. "Hurts like a Thresher Maw got its jaws on it." His face contorted in discomfort.

"Garrus, you take this Racer," Shepard instructed. "Mom and I will swim to the other one." Hannah dropped into the water as Shepard helped Garrus climb back onto the Racer. Once up, Garrus eased Cadmus onto the Racer, hauling him up with both arms, while Hannah assisted from below. Cadmus groaned and inspected his left foot. One of his toes hung at a ninety degree angle.

Garrus sucked in a breath. "That doesn't look good," he muttered.

"Just get us to the shore, Garrus," Cadmus spoke through clenched teeth and forced himself to straddle the back seat of the Racer as Shepard dove into the lake.

"We'll see you at Roban's," Shepard said, then swam towards her mother's Racer. She heard the other Racer rev to life and take off. In a few more seconds, she had mounted the second Racer and turned around to aid Hannah's ascent. Hannah sat behind her daughter.

"So, I meet your father-in-law for the first time and manage to get his toe broken. Great."

Shepard looked back at her mother. She heard the anger in Hannah's voice. "It's just an accident, mom."

"I'm not supposed to cause accidents like _this_." Hannah's reply revealed her one weakness: self-degradation. Ninety percent of the time, Shepard's mother displayed confidence, backbone and an indefatigable nature. The one thing that changed all that was when Hannah reviled herself for failing others. Shepard knew the feeling; she'd inherited the trait from her mother. Shepards protected others at all costs. Injuries were bad; deaths were worse. Shepards were never supposed to lose someone under their command. The problem came when they did. Then guilt and anger raged a firestorm inside.

"It's just his toe," Shepard consoled her mother as she revved the Racer and guided it toward the rental hut. "He's not going to die."

"I wanted him to have fun. He'll probably be terrified of Aqua Racers from now on," Hannah said gloomily.

"That's a little dramatic, mom," Shepard chided. Hannah didn't respond and Shepard glanced back. Hannah's face was clouded in worry. But what kind? Worry over her daughter's father-in-law or worry over someone she loved? Shepard knew now wasn't the time to ask, but she determined that soon she was going to corner her mom and get a direct answer.

Garrus was helping Cadmus off the Racer when Shepard coasted up to the dock. Hannah bolted off the back seat and hastened over to Cadmus. Her words rushed out. "Cadmus, it's my fault. I pushed the drive too hard. I'm sorry. Can you walk?"

Cadmus gazed at her, still squinting against the agony. "You're forgiven, Hannah," he spoke quietly, sincerely. "As for walking, you humans have the advantage over us. You have five appendages on your foot, we have only two. I've lost one. Let's just say the odds of forward movement are minimal."

Roban had dashed out of the hut and stood gaping at the group. He observed Cadmus' broken toe. "Oh my. Oh my. I'm sorry. My Racer did that. I'm sorry. Oh my."

"Calm down, Roban," Garrus admonished the Salarian. "This isn't your Racer's fault. Just call medical."

"Yes. Yes. Right away." Roban turned back to the hut. In a couple more minutes, a medical skiff came cruising along the lake and stopped at the dock. Two human lifeguards hopped out and started attending to Cadmus. One of them eventually turned to Garrus.

"He'll need the toe set, sir. We'd better call for a speeder to the hospital."

"Alright." Garrus looked to Shepard. "I'll take dad. Can you go get Solana and Tev and meet us there?"

"Got it. Coming mom?"

Hannah waved Shepard away with her hand. "I'll go with Garrus and Cadmus. This is my fault. I'll see it through."

Shepard walked into the rental hut and quickly changed out of the wet suit and back into her leisure clothes. She trekked back to the blanket where Solana sat holding Tev, bouncing her on her knee.

"Where's everyone else?" Solana asked when she approached.

"We kind of had an accident. Your dad broke his toe and they're heading to the medical facility."

Solana stood up, holding Tev, concern on her face. "Is it bad?"

"He's going to be fine once they set the bone."

"Let's go," Solana urged. She leaned over to help Shepard hurriedly pack up.

* * *

On the way to the hospital, Solana fidgeted in the passenger seat, drumming her talons on her knee in a rhythmic pattern. She also nervously tapped her foot. After a while, Shepard spoke up.

"He's going to be okay," she reassured her sister-in-law.

Solana let out a long breath. "I know. A broken toe is really nothing once you've seen injuries caused by Reapers."

Shepard nodded her head slowly. She was sure something was bothering Solana. If not Cadmus' health, then what? Shepard still felt awkward around her sister-in-law. Despite Solana's change of heart regarding her brother, she'd still kept fairly quiet. Shepard didn't know if conversation was a bother to her. She'd just elected to say nothing when Solana cleared her throat and spoke.

"I'm not worried about dad's toe." She eyed Shepard who got the distinct impression Solana was weighing whether or not it was safe to open up to her. "I have to tell him something I don't want to and this will just make it harder," Solana disclosed.

Shepard waited about a minute, but Solana didn't offer any more explanation. She finally spoke. "Your dad seems like a reasonable man. Just tell him directly. I think whatever it is he'll be able to deal with it."

Solana gazed out the window of the speeder and they drove the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

Cadmus was whisked away to a room immediately when they arrived at the hospital. Hannah and Solana stayed with him the whole time. Garrus alternated between his father's room and the lobby where Shepard kept Tev occupied as she wasn't allowed into the room. Garrus had just come back to report that they'd set Cadmus' toe after letting pain meds take effect. He took Tev from Shepard, giving her a break. Tev squealed and wrapped her arms around her daddy's neck.

"I told dad he needed to inform the Earth delegation he'd be delayed a day," Garrus told Shepard.

"If your dad is anything like my mom, he said 'no.'"

"Yep." Garrus imitated his father's voice, "A minor injury like this doesn't halt a Turian soldier. It's not going to stop an Ambassador, either."

"Well, they still have two hours left with us. Think we can avoid a crisis for at least _that_ amount of time?" Shepard sounded like she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

Garrus leaned over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "This hasn't exactly been the family reunion I would have wanted, but it hasn't been all bad."

"Let's see..." Shepard began to list, counting off on her fingers. "My mom and your dad have an all out argument, your dad gets drunk for the first time in forty years and doesn't come home overnight, you and Solana have a fight, my mom and I race and your dad ends up with a broken toe. How is that not 'all bad'?"

"Well, consider this. Your mom and my dad get over their differences, dad gets drunk and finally admits to me and Solana that he loves us, Solana and I fight and then make peace after a certain Admiral motivates me to."

"And your dad's toe?" Shepard challenged Garrus to find anything good in that.

"I'm still working on that one. But I can tell you that dad isn't upset or rattled. As a cop, he's experienced his share of injuries on the job."

"I just wanted this to work out, Garrus. I wanted our families to have a good time together. I'm disappointed."

Garrus squeezed Shepard's shoulder. "There's a Turian saying: The family that endures suffering together sticks together. We're just getting all the suffering out of the way on the front end."

Shepard shook her head, but managed a sober smile. "When you put it that way, it almost makes us sound fortunate."

"Maybe we are."

"Your dad's back," Shepard announced. Garrus looked up to see Cadmus entering the lobby, hobbling on a pair of forearm crutches he'd been given, accompanied by Hannah and Solana. Garrus handed Tev back to Shepard and walked over to Cadmus.

"Need any help?"

"I'm fine, Garrus. Pain's gone. That was the worst part." Cadmus eyeballed Solana and Hannah. Something unspoken passed between the three. Cadmus turned back to Garrus. "Let's go back to the house. We need to pack."

As the group exited the hospital, Shepard followed at the rear carrying Tev, questioning why Cadmus, Solana and Hannah had looked at each other so secretly.

* * *

When they arrived home, Cadmus and Solana made their way to the guest house, saying they'd come over to the dwelling once their belongings were packed. Hannah retreated to the guest room. Shepard laid Tev down for a nap, then joined Garrus in the bedroom to wash up after their "adventure." As she stepped into the shower, Garrus squished in with her.

"How about we shower together?"

"I've told you before, it's too small in here."

"That hasn't ever stopped me."

Shepard shook her head.

"You're still sulking. I just figured a little foreplay would lighten your mood." He gave her his best "puppy dog" look.

"Fine."

Garrus ran his palms over her back, then pulled her close to him. He massaged her shoulders and Shepard felt the weight of the day slough off through his hands. She relinquished the tension that bound her, pressing into Garrus, laying her head on his chest. He stopped massaging and held her as the warm water flowed over their entwined bodies. After a while, Shepard pushed away, but she was smiling again.

"I do need to shower. Your dad and Solana will be over soon."

Garrus sighed, drew a talon gently over her cheek and exited the shower. Shepard cleaned up quickly, showering, drying and putting on fresh clothes. Garrus had laid down on the bed and snores escaped his lips. Shepard figured she'd let him nap until his dad and sister came back over.

She left the room quietly. Walking into the living area, she saw the guest room door was open. Her mother's back was to her. She realized with a start that Hannah was packing her suitcase. She walked into the room, confused.

"I thought you had five days of leave," she stated, a question intrinsic in her statement.

Hannah folded a dress and explained. "Actually, I called Steven." Shepard always thought it funny that her mother was on such good terms with Admiral Hackett that she could call him by his first name. "I asked for a few more days off and he agreed."

"Then, why are you packing?"

Hannah placed the dress in the suitcase, not looking at her daughter. "Well, the Lhotse is bound for Earth anyway and can pick me up there." Shepard recognized the name of the Alliance Dreadnought, but the mention of her planet of origin confused her.

"Earth?"

Hannah set down the pants she was holding, then sat on the bed and stared unflinchingly at her daughter. "Cadmus asked me to go with him. He's going to need some assistance the next few days. Solana's decided to go back to Palaven."

This new turn of events shook Shepard. "He what? And you're going?"

"Well, I did cause the problem. The least I can do is help him out at his conference."

Shepard stammered, "You're not…"

Hannah's eyes danced in amusement. "We're staying in separate quarters if that's what you're worried about."

"Uh…" Shepard spoke slowly. "So, you're not…in love with him?"

Hannah laughed. "Honey, I'm a bit too conventional to fall in love with your father-in-law. Actually, Cadmus and I think the whole thing quite humorous, all of you wondering if we're 'in love.'"

"You _both_ think it's humorous?"

"When I told him about you being so worried that Solana thought he was in love and then he told me that Garrus tried to ask him about it, well, I just thought it would be fun not to say anything at all."

"Wait. You've been playing us this whole time?"

"We weren't trying to," Hannah insisted. "We just didn't say one way or the other. You all did the rest with your imaginations."

Shepard shook her head, half-annoyed and half-amused. Her mother used to play tricks all the time when she was a kid.

"I can't believe Cadmus went along with that. He doesn't seem the prankster type."

"I think I've influenced him a little."

"I'd say a lot," Shepard commented.

Hannah smiled widely, but Shepard caught a strange glint in her eye. Shepard put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at her mother. "You're not being totally honest with me, are you, mom?"

Hannah suddenly looked startled, like she'd been found out. "Well…" She stood up and started to pack again. Shepard came close and touched her mother's hand.

"You _don't_ like him at all? Not even a little?"

Hannah sighed. "Perhaps, in another time and place, it would have happened, but we're truly just friends." Hannah grasped Shepard's hand. "I miss your father. He was taken from me so long ago, but I still miss him like he passed away yesterday. It's hard to be lonely."

Shepard sympathetically squeezed Hannah's hand. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose Garrus. It would take all her strength just to go on without him.

Hannah continued. "For Cadmus and I, we've each found someone who makes us feel alive again, like we're not two old fogies sinking out of oblivion in the universe."

"You're not an old fogy, mom," Shepard insisted. "And you're not sinking out of oblivion. You're a Rear Admiral and Cadmus' an Ambassador."

"Yes, but our time is winding down. We're watching younger people like you and Garrus take charge of the galaxy. Soon, we'll find ourselves retiring, passed on by the younger generation. It's just nice to find someone who understands."

"I would think Admiral Hackett would understand. Admiral Maddock, too."

"Oh, they'd understand," Hannah agreed. "But there's still distance between them and me. They're still Alliance soldiers and my superiors. And on the Lhotse, _I'm_ the superior, so I maintain the distance. Cadmus and I are related through you and Garrus, not through a chain of command. It's a lot easier to be open that way. You might think it's strange, but I don't have very many close friends."

Shepard didn't think it strange. Her mother came from a different time, a time when you didn't sit in the mess with the soldiers or find them on the ship to give them a pep talk. Her way was different from her mom's. Or possibly, her way was different from every other officer in the Alliance. Maybe people were so willing to join her cause because she did what no other commander would: went out of her way to get to know them.

"I understand," Shepard told her mother. She let go of her hand. "Go ahead and pack. I hope you and Cadmus have a great time being just friends. Maybe you'll be able to show him Sault Sainte Marie."

"I'm certain my hometown isn't on his agenda, but I suppose I might be able to convince him to take a detour after the conference. At least it wasn't attacked by Reapers, so it would still be worth seeing." She picked up the pair of pants, then paused. "Maybe I could take him aqua racing on the Great Lakes."

Hannah laughed loudly at Shepard's look of chagrin.

* * *

Garrus stood by the landing platform with his father, Solana, Shepard and Hannah. The transport had arrived and passengers were loading onto it. It turned out all three of their guests were departing together. Shepard had informed him of Cadmus' request and her mother's acceptance. She also validated the fact that there was nothing between their parents at all but a bond of camaraderie. Garrus actually liked that Cadmus had warmed up to Hannah so easily after their argument the first night. Garrus recognized that in Hannah, his father had found someone who balanced him, smoothing out his rough edges.

Garrus held Tev out to Cadmus, who tickled the infant under her chin and delighted in her giggles.

"Take care, Garrus," his father said shortly, but warmly. He looked to Shepard. "Thank you for the hospitality. We look forward to seeing you again sometime. Thank you also for graciously lending me your mother."

"Just make sure she doesn't compel you do anything you don't want to," Shepard warned, eyeing her mother who held her hands up in a "Who me?" gesture.

Cadmus chuckled. "I'm pretty strong-willed."

Solana reached out to Tev and Garrus passed her over to her aunt. Solana gave the infant a gentle hug, then handed her back. She rested a hand on Garrus' arm. "Dad's called in some favors and a teaching position's waiting for me back on Palaven. I'll catch the transport to Palaven from Earth." She patted Garrus' arm. "Come see me sometime. It would do the citizens good to see you. You're hailed as a hero there these days."

"We'll come when we can," Garrus replied, hoping to travel to his home planet soon.

Solana turned to shake Shepard's hand. "Thank you." She furtively glanced at Garrus then looked back and leaned in so only Shepard could hear. "He's lucky, too. You really are a good woman. I'm glad he married you."

Shepard smiled, surprised and happy. "I'm glad I finally met you."

"Next time we meet, we'll have to do more together, just the sisters-in-law," Solana insisted.

While Solana was saying good-bye to Shepard, Hannah said her good-byes to Garrus. "I'm sure I'll see you soon, the next time I get leave."

"Take care of dad. Don't let him push himself too hard."

"Mission accepted," Hannah spoke dutifully. She leaned over to hug Tev. The transport's engines began to whine.

"We'd better go," Cadmus said. He turned on his crutches and slowly made his way towards the transport with Solana on his left. Hannah quickly hugged Shepard and caught up to Cadmus, walking to his right. When they got to the transport, Solana aided Cadmus up the ramp. Hannah turned and waved good-bye at the door.

Shepard and Garrus stood quietly, waiting. Tev clapped her hands as the transport lifted off the ground and began its climb into the sky, soon becoming nothing but a small dot in the clouds.


	12. Epilogue: Home

The door to the dwelling slid open as Garrus walked through carrying Tev with Shepard right beside him. Shepard sauntered over to the couch, stretching her arms above her head, and lay down. Garrus sat on the floor, pulled Tev's toy basket out from under a side table and handed her a rattle. The infant laid on the floor, shaking the rattle and kicking her feet in the air.

"We made it through," Shepard breathed out.

"And they didn't end up killing each other…or us," Garrus added.

"Let's ask them back next weekend."

Garrus sent Shepard a dirty look. "Right. I didn't mean to imply I wanted them back _that_ soon. We need a break from family." Shepard smiled.

Shepard listened to the quiet of the house. Now that Hannah and Cadmus and Solana had gone, it seemed so…peaceful. She realized then how much she had come to love Concilia and this dwelling, their own home. She'd lived on ships and stations her whole life, flitting from place to place throughout the galaxy, never staying anywhere for long. Yet she didn't feel restless here. She wanted to remain grounded for a long time.

Shepard looked to Garrus. "It was good seeing them, but I'm glad we live far enough away not to see them all the time. We're building _our_ family now, you and me and Terra." She held a hand out to Garrus and he took it, savoring the warmth of her touch. There was a moment of silence broken only by Tev's coos. Then Garrus put a talon to his head.

"Hey, I just thought of something good that came from dad's broken toe."

"What?"

"Hannah left with dad and now we're all alone." Garrus' mandibles puffed in and out quickly, something Shepard had come to associate with excitement. He drew himself up onto the couch and straddled Shepard. "Didn't I promise you that tonight you're mine?"

"It's not night yet," Shepard flirted.

"We'll get an early start."

"What about Tev?"

Garrus glanced at the infant on the floor. "She's not looking."

"Take her to the crib, Garrus Vakarian."

Garrus sighed, slid off the couch, picked up Tev and carried her to the nursery. When he returned, he froze at the end of the hall. Shepard lay on the couch grinning at him, stark naked. He strolled towards her, stripping as he came.

"We've never done this on the couch before," he commented, looking down at her.

"Well, then it's about time we christen it," Shepard answered, grasping his arms and drawing him down towards the couch.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has followed and favorited this story! I've had a blast writing it!


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